- Date
- June 29, 2019, 17:45 UTC
- Place
- Navasota, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N998DMBeech 95
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190629008489A
- Case key
- 99816
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.
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, about 3 minutes after the airplane was leveled off, "a black vulture" struck the windscreen. Subsequently, he returned to the airport and landed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen. 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, about three minutes after they had leveled off, "a black vulture" struck the windscreen. The airplane returned to the airport and landed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windscreen. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N998DM
- Reported as
- Beech 95 (D95A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TD-697
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 4,984
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-360-B1B, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-360-B1B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- D & S Aviation Llc, doing business as United Flight System
- Registered owner
- D & S Aviation Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 6, 2019
- Departed
- 60R · Navasota, TX
- Destination
- DHW · Spring, TX
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 22, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 413.7 total · 57.4 in this make and model · 310 as pilot in command · 171.5 in the last 90 days · 74.6 in the last 30 days · 6.1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 342.8 total · 6.9 in this make and model · 294.3 as pilot in command · 7.8 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- K11R, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.