- Date
- May 28, 2018, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar Key, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N269DWCirrus Design SR22
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180528006199A
- Case key
- 97347
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 multiple birds during initial climb, which damaged the propeller and resulted in a subsequent aerodynamic stall because the airspeed could not be maintained.
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, during initial climb, about 90 ft above ground level, the airplane flew through a flock of canary-size birds. He reported that, after the bird strikes, the airplane continued to climb, but the "prop then became unbalanced causing a violent vibration," followed by a steep left bank and then a right bank. He recalled that the airspeed decreased, and the stall warning horn sounded, and about 5 seconds later, the airplane impacted a body of water adjacent to the airport in a 60° left bank. Photographs provided by Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector showed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during takeoff initial climb, about 90ft AGL, the airplane flew through a flock of canary size birds. He reported that after the bird strikes, the airplane continued to climb, but the "prop then became unbalanced causing a violent vibration," followed by a steep left bank and then a right bank. He recalled that the airspeed decreased, and the stall warning horn sounded, and about five seconds later the airplane impacted a body of water adjacent to the airport in a 60° left bank. Photographs provided by Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspectors showed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N269DW
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR22 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1793
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 1,350
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fly Up LLC.
- Registered owner
- Fly Up LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 29, 2018
- Departed
- CDK · Cedar Key, FL
- Destination
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Airport
- CDK · George T Lewis, runway 05, 2,355 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, Airframe parachute, Auto-pilot, 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- March 12, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 760 in this make and model · 950 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,600 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- CDK, 30 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.