- Date
- February 20, 2017, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N962WWPiper PA 28R
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170220001069A
- Case key
- 94790
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 bird.
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 flight instructor reported that, while performing maneuvers about 800 ft above the ground, a bird impacted the left wing. He added that he returned to the airport without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, while performing maneuvers about 800 ft above the ground, a bird impacted the left wing. He added that he returned to the airport without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N962WW
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28R (201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2844022
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 9,568.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Westwind Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 23, 2017
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 28, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 378 total · 66 in this make and model · 221 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 17, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,561 total · 1,015 in this make and model · 7,421 as pilot in command · 152 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KDVT
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.