- Date
- September 28, 2008, 18:26 local (22:26 UTC)
- Place
- Beverly, MA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8369APiper PA 28-161
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080928846399A
- Case key
- 69024
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 while landing.
Findings · 1
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) of the Piper PA 28-161 stated that he, a student pilot, and a passenger were conducting an instructional flight in actual instrument meteorological conditions. They returned to their home airport on a cross-country flight, and the CFI executed an instrument approach uneventfully. The airplane then landed on runway 16, a 5,001-foot long, 100-foot wide, asphalt runway. About 5 seconds after touch down, while traveling about 50 knots, the CFI observed four or five deer on the right side of the runway. While the other deer scattered away from the runway, one deer ran onto the runway and into the airplane. The CFI swerved the airplane in an attempt to avoid the impact, but was unable. During the impact, the right wing sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) of the Piper PA 28-161 stated that he, a student pilot, and a passenger were conducting an instructional flight in actual instrument meteorological conditions. They returned to their home airport on a cross-country flight, and the CFI executed an instrument approach uneventfully. The airplane then landed on runway 16, a 5,001-foot long, 100-foot wide, asphalt runway. About 5 seconds after touch down, while traveling about 50 knots, the CFI observed four or five deer on the right side of the runway. While the other deer scattered away from the runway, one deer ran onto the runway and into the airplane. The CFI swerved the airplane in an attempt to avoid the impact, but was unable. During the impact, the right wing sustained substantial damage. The reported weather at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, included wind from 140 degrees at 5 knots, overcast ceiling at 300 feet, and visibility 7 miles.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8369A
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116198
- Airframe hours
- 3,981
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Beverly Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Piper 69A LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 18, 2008 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Destination
- BVY · Beverly, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BVY · Beverly Municipal Airport, runway 16, 5,001 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 9, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 546 total · 377 in this make and model · 503 as pilot in command · 213 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 96 total · 13 in this make and model · 24 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- BVY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.