- Date
- June 27, 2018, 21:00 local (Jun 28, 2018, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rolla, MO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7104FPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180627008669A
- Case key
- 97715
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
A collision with a deer on the runway during the takeoff roll at night.
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 takeoff roll at night with the student pilot on the controls, the airplane's left wing struck a deer on the runway. They maneuvered the airplane off the runway without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Facility Directory, Airport Remarks, for the accident airport stated, in part, that there is wildlife on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that during the takeoff roll at night, with the student pilot on the controls, the airplane's left wing struck a deer on the runway. They maneuvered the airplane off the runway without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Facility Directory, Airport Remarks, for the accident airport states in part that there is wildlife on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7104F
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (151)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7715197
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 7,286.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 E3D, 151 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 2018
- Departed
- VIH · Rolla, MO
- Destination
- VIH · Rolla, MO
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- VIH · Rolla National, runway 31, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 36 in this make and model · 1,805 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KVIH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.