# NTSB NYC01LA054: Embraer 120RT, N504AS, Charleston, WV, December 7, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 6, 2000, 20:38 local (Dec 7, 2000, 01:38 UTC) - Place: Charleston, WV - Coordinates: 38.349815, -81.629814 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3498&lon=-81.6298&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 18 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 27, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 51307 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC01LA054 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51307/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA054 ## Probable cause Deer on the runway. Factors included reduced visibility due to nighttime lighting and light snow conditions, breaches in the perimeter fence, increased seasonal deer activity, and the rural location of the airport. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water collision with object, landing - roll - object - animal(s) (cause) - light condition - night (contributing factor) - airport facilities,perimeter fence - not maintained (contributing factor) - airport/facilities - other (contributing factor) - object - animal(s) (contributing factor) - weather condition - snow (contributing factor) ## Analysis An Embraer 120RT struck two deer on the runway during a night landing at a tower-operated, rural, mountaintop airport. At the time, skies were overcast, and light snow was falling. The tip of a propeller blade from the number 2 engine separated, and punctured the airplane's fuselage. A runway inspection had commenced shortly before the accident, but the inspection vehicle had not yet reached the area where the accident occurred. There were two breaches in the perimeter fence. Perimeter fence maintenance inspections had been conducted monthly, but were later scheduled to be increased during fall and winter seasons due to higher volumes of deer and greater deer activity. A program to clear the fence line of all brush and weeds, and remove all trees and brush inside the fence, was scheduled to begin during the spring of 2002. Deer elimination procedures within the fence perimeter were in effect; however, as a result of the accident, they were expanded to include deer near the fence. At the time of the accident, a yearlong wildlife management study was scheduled to commence in August 2001. ## Factual narrative On December 6, 2000, at 2038 eastern standard time, an Embraer 120RT, N504AS, operating as Atlantic Southeast Airways flight 71, was substantially damaged when it collided with deer during landing roll-out at Yeager Airport (CRW), Charleston, West Virginia. The 3-person crew and 15 passengers were uninjured, and 1 passenger received serious injuries. The accident occurred at night, during visual meteorological conditions. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, between The William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia, and Yeager Airport. The scheduled passenger flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 121. According to the captain, within seconds of landing on runway 23, the airplane struck two deer. The flight attendant then contacted the cockpit crew, and informed them that there was an injured passenger. After parking at the gate, a walk-around inspection revealed that the tip of a propeller blade from the number 2 engine had separated, and punctured the airplane's fuselage. Weather at the time of the accident included overcast skies and light snow. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, one of the deer was hit by the nose landing gear and the other was hit by the right engine propeller. The separated blade tip was about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. It entered the cabin just aft of frame 21, between stringers 14R and 15R. The passenger was sitting in seat 3C. A review of the tower audio recording revealed that an airport runway inspection had commenced shortly before the accident, but that the inspection vehicle had not yet reached the area where the accident occurred. An airport inspection following the accident revealed breaches in the perimeter fence, in gully areas near the approach end of runway 15, and abeam runway 23, about 1,300 feet from the runway threshold. According to the airport authority's assistant director, a wildlife inspection program was in effect at the time of the accident. Inspections of airport surfaces, including the one noted in the audio recordings, were conducted twice daily. Higher deer activity was typically observed between October and January due to the mating season. Perimeter fence maintenance inspections, which were conducted monthly, were scheduled to be increased during upcoming fall and winter seasons, due in part, to the higher volume of deer at that time. A program to clear the fence line of all brush and weeds, and remove all trees and brush inside the fence, was scheduled to commence in the spring of 2002. The Airport Authority was also authorized to eliminate deer as needed. While the program had been conducted within the perimeter fence for over 2 years, as a result of the accident, it was expanded to include deer near the perimeter fence as well. At the time of the accident, a wildlife management study had been approved by the FAA. The yearlong study, to include management procedures, was scheduled to begin in August 2001. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N504AS](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N504AS-2021-09-04), registration cancelled 2021-09-04, S/N 120.278 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Embraer 120RT - Registry model: [Embraer EMB-120ER](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-120er) (registry code 3260203) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada PW118B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw118b) (registry code 52131, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 120278 - Engines: P&W PW-118 1800 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Atlantic Southeast Airways - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Departed: ATL, ATLANTA, GA - Destination: CRW - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: CRW, Yeager Airport, runway 23, 6,302 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 28; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 4,510 total, 2,817 in this make and model, 1,890 as pilot in command, 235 in the last 90 days, 76 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,900 ft overcast - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: CRW ## 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 20001206032489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001206032489A), Dec 6, 2000: Emb EMB120ER, Charleston, WV, Substantial damage. (-23) Atlantic southeast airlines flight 4071 an Emb-120-RT, N504AS had just landed on runway 23 at the Charleston (Yeager Airport), west Virginia (crw)… 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.