# NTSB MIA07CA045: Cessna 172S, N20956, Sanford, FL, January 27, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: January 27, 2007, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC) - Place: Sanford, FL - Coordinates: 28.777778, -81.237503 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.7778&lon=-81.2375&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65261 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA07CA045 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65261/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA07CA045 ## Probable cause The inadvertent inflight collision with a bird resulting in damage to the airplane and the pilot having limited control capability. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, cruise - normal - object - bird(s) (cause) - aircraft control - diminished, pilot in command - wing - bent - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis The pilot stated that he departed from Orlando Sanford International Airport, Sanford, Florida, with a new student on a discovery flight. He further stated that after exiting class C airspace, as he initiated a climb, a turkey buzzard impacted the airplane's right wing causing damage. The damage caused the airplane to turn to the right and severely limited his ability to control the airplane. According to the pilot it placed the airplane in a descending right spiral. The pilot recovered the airplane from the spiral and made a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing the nose wheel dug into the ground and separated bringing the airplane to a stop. According to the pilot, prior to the buzzard impacting the airplane's wing, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems. ## Factual narrative The pilot stated that he departed from Orlando Sanford International Airport, Sanford, Florida, with a new student on a discovery flight. He further stated that after exiting class C airspace, as he initiated a climb, a turkey buzzard impacted the airplane's right wing causing damage. The damage caused the airplane to turn to the right and severely limited his ability to control the airplane. According to the pilot it placed the airplane in a descending right spiral. The pilot recovered the airplane from the spiral and made a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing the nose wheel dug into the ground and separated bringing the airplane to a stop. According to the pilot, prior to the buzzard impacting the airplane's wing, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N20956](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N20956-2007-07-31), registration cancelled 2007-07-31, S/N 172S9564, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172S - Registry model: [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (registry code 2072439) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-360-L2A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (registry code 41597, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 172S9564 - Airframe hours: 1463 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-L2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Falcon Flight Aviation - Registered owner: Kumar V. Sampath, C/O Teknocraft - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, January 1, 2007, 23 hours before - Departed: SFB, Sanford, FL - Destination: SFB ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 36; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1; last flight review July 1, 2006; seat: right; flight hours: 930 total, 603 in this make and model, 778 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 22; injuries: none; last flight review July 1, 2006; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.15 inHg - Observed at: SFB ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070127000849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070127000849A), Jan 27, 2007: Cessna 172S, Osteen, FL, Substantial damage. (-23) At 1300FT MSL, N20956, a Cessna 172SP, struck a buzzard. Damage to the right wing, outboard of the strut. Full deflection of left aileron was required to… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.