- Date
- November 9, 1998, 03:44 local (08:44 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4808SPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981109040639A
- Case key
- 45267
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
An inadvertent collision with a deer on the runway. A contributing factor was night conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the landing roll on runway 33R at the Baltimore-Washington International airport, the pilot encountered two deer crossing the runway from left to right. The aircraft missed one deer but collided with the second. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Factual narrative
On November 9, 1998, at 0344 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N4808S, registered to and being operated by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with a deer during the landing roll at Baltimore-Washington International airport, Baltimore, Maryland. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological night conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The flight, which was personal in nature, was to have been conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and originated from Reading, Pennsylvania, approximately 0310.
According to the pilot, during the landing roll on runway 33R, the airplane collided with a deer that was on the runway. He reported that there were two deer, and that they were moving from left to right. He stated that he missed the first one, but the second one struck the right wing leading edge.
The pilot radioed the tower and reported the incident. The subsequent inspection of the runway revealed a dead deer.
The Airport Facility Directory stated in part, "Deer and birds occasionally on and in vicinity of airport." Additionally, the Baltimore-Washington International airport has a wildlife hazard management plan in place in accordance with 14 CFR Part 139.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4808S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-1192
- Airframe hours
- 4,277
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Yoch, Marvin, R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 14, 1998 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- RDG · Reading, PA
- Destination
- BWI
- Airport
- BWI · Baltimore-Washington Intl, runway 33R, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,429 total · 316 in this make and model · 1,301 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.