- Date
- December 4, 2017, 17:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- Hyannis, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2748YCessna 402
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171204022689A
- Case key
- 96435
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
Encounter with a flock of birds during takeoff at night, resulting in multiple bird strikes and structural damage.
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
According to the pilot, he took off at night, and during the initial climb about 800ft above the ground, the airplane ran into a flock of birds. The pilot declared an emergency with the tower and landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wind screen and the windscreen frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he took off at night, and during the initial climb about 800ft above the ground, the airplane ran into a flock of birds. The pilot declared an emergency with the tower and landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wind screen and the windscreen frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2748Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 402 (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402C0248
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 33,449.6
- Engines
- Cont Motor TSIO-520-VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor TSIO-520-VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 5, 2017
- Departed
- HYA · Hyannis, ME
- Destination
- HYA · Hyannis, ME
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- HYA · Barnstable Muni-Boardman/Polan, runway 06, 5,425 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,400 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 5,900 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.46 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.