- Date
- August 20, 2006, 20:20 local (Aug 21, 2006, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Chesapeake, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6401APiper PA 38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Richmond FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060820017589A
- Case key
- 64435
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 presence of deer on the runway during the landing roll, which resulted in a collision. A factor in the accident was the dark night.
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
While performing a landing at night, the pilot of a Piper PA 38-112 saw a deer about 30 feet ahead of the airplane in the center of the runway. He added power, steered to the left, and struck a second deer that was out of his view with the left main landing gear. The left main landing gear then separated, the left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest off the left side of the runway after striking several runway lights. The pilot stated that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane.
Factual narrative
While performing a landing at night, the pilot of a Piper PA 38-112 saw a deer about 30 feet ahead of the airplane in the center of the runway. He added power, steered to the left, and struck a second deer that was out of his view with the left main landing gear. The left main landing gear then separated, the left wing contacted the ground, and the airplane came to rest off the left side of the runway after striking several runway lights. The pilot stated that there were no deficiencies with the performance and handling of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6401A
- Reported as
- Piper PA 38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0416
- Airframe hours
- 3,667.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bishop Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- William B. Bishop
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 2006
- Departed
- KAKQ · Wakefield, VA
- Destination
- KPVG · Chesapeake, VA
- Airport
- KPVG · Hampton Roads Executive, runway 02, 3,524 × 70 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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 62 in this make and model · 18 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KNGU, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.