- Date
- October 31, 2019, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Braunfels, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N850BKBeech 200
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191031020539A
- Case key
- 100529
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 in-flight collision 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 pilot reported that the airplane was descending through 2,500 ft while about 200 knots when a single bird struck the upper left corner of the pilot-side windshield. The windshield was broken and cracked by the impact. The pilot was seriously injured by flying glass that ejected from the broken inner ply's surface, which affected his vision. The passenger in the cabin moved up into the copilot's seat, and while being instructed by the pilot, landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained minor damage to the windshield. 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, the airplane was descending through 2,500 ft, at about 200 knots, when a single bird, in a dive, struck the upper left corner of the pilot's side windshield. The windshield was broken and crazed by the impact. The pilot was seriously injured by the flying glass ejected from the broken inner ply's surface which affected his vision. The passenger in the cabin moved up into the co-pilot' seat and, while instructed by the pilot, landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained minor damage to the windshield. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N850BK
- Reported as
- Beech 200 (B200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- BB-896
- Built
- 1981
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6-42, 850 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6-42, 850 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- RPM Consulting LLC
- Registered owner
- RPM Consulting LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ADS · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- BAZ · New Braunfels, TX
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 54
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 10, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 3,400 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KBAZ
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 5, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.