- Date
- November 20, 2016, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dayton, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4331RCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161120023359A
- Case key
- 94431
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
The student pilot’s inability to maintain pitch and bank control during the landing after the airplane was struck by a deer.
Findings · 3
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
According to the student pilot, the single-engine airplane was configured in a crab profile during the landing. After the flare, the airplane settled into ground effect and a deer then approached the airplane from the left and struck the left main landing gear. The pilot initiated a go-around, but the left wing struck the ground. The airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop after exiting the runway to the right. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The airport facility directory stated that deer were present on and near the airport. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, the single engine airplane was configured in a crab profile during the landing. After the flare, the airplane settled into ground effect and was struck by a deer. The student pilot reported that the deer approached from the left and struck the left main landing gear. He initiated a go-around, but the left wing struck the ground. The airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear, the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop after exiting the runway to the right. Substantial damage was sustained to the firewall. The airport facility directory states that deer are present on, and in the vicinity of the airport. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4331R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263084
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 3,696.8
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Consolidated Aviation Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Consolidated Aviation Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2016
- Departed
- DKX · Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- 2A0 · Dayton, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 2A0 · Mark Anton, runway 21, 5,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 59.5 total · 44 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- MMI, 19 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 MB 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.