- Date
- October 27, 2017, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Seneca, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4509FPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20171027020419A
- Case key
- 96268
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
The airplane's collision with a deer during the landing 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 flight instructor reported that, in day visual meteorological conditions, during the landing roll, a deer "appeared from high grass and bushes" from the right of the runway. He added that, before he could react, the deer impacted the inboard section of the right wing. The flight instructor stopped the airplane on the runway and then taxied to the ramp without further incident The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement for the airport stated, in part: "Deer on and invof [in the vicinity of] arpt [airport]."
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, in day visual meteorological conditions, during the landing roll, a deer "appeared from high grass and bushes" from the right of the runway. He added that, before he could react, the deer impacted the inboard section of the right wing. The flight instructor stopped the airplane on the runway, and then taxied to the ramp without further incident The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement for the airport stated in part: Deer on and invof [in the vicinity of] arpt [airport].
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4509F
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (151)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7715044
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 7,903
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 12, 2017
- Departed
- 9G3 · Akron, NY
- Destination
- 9G0 · West Seneca, NY
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 9G0 · Buffalo Airfield, runway 24, 2,668 × 59 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2015
- Flight hours
- 3,200 total · 1,000 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 29 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUF, 4 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.
Other investigations on N4509F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.