- Date
- June 1, 2018, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsville, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5554XBeech F33A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180601007409A
- Case key
- 97486
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 takeoff.
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
According to the pilot, the right main landing gear struck a deer during takeoff. The pilot reported that the airplane had cleared the deer "until it bounded up and hit the right wheel." The pilot continued the initial climb and communicated with observers on the ground. He flew near the observers, and they confirmed that the landing gear was extended and appeared undamaged. However, the pilot flew to a maintenance facility with the landing gear extended and landed to assess the damage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. 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, the right main landing gear struck a deer during takeoff. The pilot reported that the airplane had cleared the deer, "until it bounded up and hit the right wheel." The pilot continued the initial climb and communicated with observers on the ground. He flew near the observers and they confirmed that the landing gear was extended and appeared undamaged. However, the pilot flew to a maintenance facility with the landing gear extended and landed to assess the damage. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5554X
- Reported as
- Beech F33A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- CE-1457
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 2,413
- Engine
- Continental IO-520BB, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 2018
- Departed
- MTV · Advance, NC
- Destination
- MTV · Martinsville, VA
- Airport
- MTV · Blue Ridge, runway 12, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 21, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,726 total · 58.5 in this make and model · 2,726 as pilot in command · 41.5 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTV
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.