- Date
- November 18, 2016, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N64793Beech A36
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161118020399A
- Case key
- 94457
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 a flock of birds.
Findings · 1
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 co-pilot reported "a flock of buzzards" passed in front of the airplane while en-route, and "the PIC [pilot in command] took evasive action." He further reported a buzzard collided with the airplane at the top of the windscreen and there was a "loud bomb like bang/thump" followed by a loud rush of air. Subsequently, the pilot in command declared an emergency with air traffic control and landed at the nearest airport without further incident. The windscreen was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The co-pilot reported "a flock of buzzards" passed in front of the airplane while en-route, and "the PIC [pilot in command] took evasive action." He further reported a buzzard collided with the airplane at the top of the windscreen and there was a "loud bomb like bang/thump" followed by a loud rush of air. Subsequently, the pilot in command declared an emergency with air traffic control and landed at the nearest airport without further incident. The windscreen was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64793
- Reported as
- Beech A36 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- E-2057
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 4,514
- Engine
- Continental IO-55077B, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 16, 2016
- Departed
- FL59 · Fort Myers, FL
- Destination
- FL59 · Fort Myers, FL
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 14, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,040 total · 1,480 in this make and model
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KFMY, 10 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 19, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 620 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.