- Date
- November 6, 2016, 20:05 local (Nov 7, 2016, 03:05 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6026ZCessna 172
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161106023069A
- Case key
- 94351
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in-flight collision with multiple birds.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported while en-route about 2,500 feet above ground, under dark night visual meteorological conditions, multiple birds struck both wings and the cowling. The pilot further reported that the airplane had a "harsh rolling tendency to the right and reduced engine power." Subsequently, the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and landed without further incident at an airport about 3 nautical miles away. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported while en-route about 2,500 feet above ground, under dark night visual meteorological conditions, multiple birds struck both wings and the cowling. The pilot further reported that the airplane had a "harsh rolling tendency to the right and reduced engine power." Subsequently, the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and landed without further incident at an airport about 3 nautical miles away. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6026Z
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S10208
- Built
- 2006
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PUB · Pueblo, CO
- Destination
- FNL · Fort Collins/Loveland, CO
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 236 total · 46 in this make and model · 174 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KAPA, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 22, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 765 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.