- Date
- March 24, 2017, 12:47 local (18:47 UTC)
- Place
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N551BCCessna 550
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170324002189A
- Case key
- 94921
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 goose during approach.
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 pilot reported that, during approach, a goose struck the airplane's left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot continued the approach and landed without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach a goose struck the airplane's left horizontal stabilizer. The airplane continued the approach and landed without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N551BC
- Reported as
- Cessna 550 (CITATION I)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 550-242
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 8,575
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4, 2,500 horsepower, turbo fanPratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4, 2,500 horsepower, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 14, 2017
- Departed
- SEE · San Diego/El Cajon, CA
- Destination
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SLC · Salt Lake City Intl, runway 16R, 12,000 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 2, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,200 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KSLC, 2 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.