- Date
- September 11, 2017, 20:03 local (Sep 12, 2017, 01:03 UTC)
- Place
- Harrisonville, MO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N34413Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170911021659A
- Case key
- 95996
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
A collision with a deer on the runway during the takeoff roll.
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 takeoff, he heard a "bang," and "it felt as though the airplane hit a brick wall." He added that, during the climb, he examined the engine instruments, which appeared normal. About 800 ft above ground level, he looked out the left pilot window and observed that the fixed left main landing gear was "oddly positioned up next to [the] seat/door." The pilot reported that he contacted air traffic control, declared an emergency, and performed a "gear up" landing at the destination airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the following was added to the Airport Facility Directory: "Deer and other wildlife on and in vicinity of airport." It is likely the airplane hit a deer on the runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, he heard a "bang" and "it felt as though the airplane hit a brick wall [deer]". He added that, during the climb, he examined the engine instruments, which appeared normal. About 800 ft above ground, he looked out the left pilot side window and observed the fixed left main landing gear was "oddly positioned up next to [the] seat/door". The pilot reported that he contacted air traffic control, declared an emergency, and performed a "gear up" landing at the destination airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34413
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701791
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 4,371.51
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2017
- Departed
- LRY · Harrisonville, MO
- Destination
- LXT · Lee'S Summit, MO
- Airport
- LRY · Lawrence Smith Memorial, runway 35, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 24, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,318.4 total · 189 in this make and model · 954.5 as pilot in command · 36.7 in the last 90 days · 11.3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KLRY
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 21, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 134 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.
Other investigations on N34413 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.