- Date
- November 18, 2017, 18:45 local (Nov 19, 2017, 02:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chico, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9678QCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Case key
- 96339
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 · 2
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, during the instructional night, cross-country flight, while in level flight about 3,500 ft, a bird struck the airplane and went through the windscreen. The airplane returned to the airport without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that the windscreen sustained substantial damage. 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 during the instructional night cross country flight, while in level flight about 3,500 ft, a bird struck the airplane and went through the windscreen. The airplane returned to the airport without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed that the windscreen sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9678Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265762
- Built
- 1975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Northgate Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Northgate Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Chico, CA
- Destination
- O41 · Woodland, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Heads up display
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 43 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,490 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 4,040 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- CIC
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 727 KB in all.