- Date
- April 24, 2017, 12:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Waukesha, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N899CZBeech 99
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170424003359A
- Case key
- 95065
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 during the 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 flying the airplane reported that, during an instrument flight rules instructional flight, the airplane was established on a very high frequency omnidirectional range approach. The pilot reported that, during the approach, he observed a large bird dive into the airplane's nose section. The pilot recalled that there was no time to react between the initial observation and impact. He terminated the training flight and landed the airplane as soon as practical and without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in command (PIC) of the airplane reported that during an instrument flight rules instructional flight, the airplane was established on a very high frequency omnidirectional range approach. The PIC reported that during the approach he observed a large bird that dove into the nose section of the airplane. The PIC recalled that there wasn't any reaction time between the initial observation and impact. He terminated the training flight and landed the airplane as soon as practical and without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N899CZ
- Reported as
- Beech 99 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U-96
- Airframe hours
- 30,823
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-28, 680 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-28, 680 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Freight Runners Express Inc
- Registered owner
- Freight Runners Express Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 3, 2017
- Departed
- KMKE · Milwaukee, WI
- Destination
- KEUS · Waukesha, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- UES · Waukesha County, runway 18, 5,849 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 28, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,568 total · 518 in this make and model · 2,425 as pilot in command · 154 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,244 total · 5 in this make and model · 588 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KUES
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.