- Date
- November 9, 2018, 23:35 local (Nov 10, 2018, 06:35 UTC)
- Place
- Boise, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N16HTCessna 206
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern crosswind: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 20, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 98622
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 impact with a bird during the approach.
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
The flight instructor reported that he and the student pilot were conducting a training flight using night vision googles. While the airplane was in the traffic pattern, he saw a small flock of geese. Shortly after, he felt a thump. The student reconfigured the rudder and flap setting and was able to land the airplane 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.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, during a training flight using night vision googles, while in the traffic pattern during a turn, he observed a small flock of geese. Shortly after the observation, a thump was felt and heard by the flight crew. The flight crew reconfigured the rudder and flap setting and was able to land the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16HT
- Reported as
- Cessna 206 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2060134
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 3,317.89
- Engine
- Continental IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Specialties Unlimited Inc
- Registered owner
- Aviation Specialties Unlimited Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 2018
- Departed
- EUL · Caldwell, ID
- Destination
- S78 · Boise, ID
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- S78 · Emmett Muni, runway 28, 3,307 × 55 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,400 total · 4.8 in this make and model · 4,220 as pilot in command · 7.5 in the last 90 days · 5.5 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 15, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10,845 total · 98 in this make and model · 10,623 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KEUL, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB in all.