- Date
- November 20, 2017, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N172SXCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 96393
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 pilot reported that, about 2 miles from his destination, he made a left turn to enter the downwind leg for landing when a bird came "out of the sun." The pilot made a hard right turn to avoid the bird and prevent it from coming through the windscreen. The bird subsequently collided with the leading edge of the left wing. The pilot continued to his intended destination without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left wing. 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 reported that, about two miles from his destination, he made a left turn to enter the downwind leg for landing when a bird came out of the sun. The pilot made a hard right turn to avoid the bird from coming through the windscreen. The bird subsequently collided with the leading edge of the left wing. The pilot continued to his intended destination without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N172SX
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273641
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Personal Aviation Inc.
- Registered owner
- Personal Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AJO · Corona, CA
- Destination
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Airport
- MYF · Montgomery-Gibbs Executive, runway 28R, 4,577 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 174.1 total · 44.2 in this make and model · 131.3 as pilot in command · 20.3 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KMYF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.