- Date
- August 23, 2019, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9422SBeech 35
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190823014809A
- Case key
- 100299
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 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 pilot reported that, during the downwind leg of the approach and as the airplane was about 1,000 ft above ground level, a bird struck the propeller and cowling. The pilot was able to land the airplane without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed bird feathers in the engine compartment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the downwind leg of an approach, about 1,000 ft above the ground, a bird struck the airplane's propeller and cowling. The pilot was able to maneuver and land the airplane without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed bird feathers in engine compartment. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and forward fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9422S
- Reported as
- Beech 35 (V35)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-8020
- Built
- 1965
- Engine
- Continental IO550B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 15, 2019
- Departed
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Destination
- FL59 · Fort Myers, FL
- Airport
- FL59 · Buckingham Field, runway 14, 4,046 × 400 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,560 total · 650 in this make and model · 3,560 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Observed at
- KRSW, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 22, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.