- Date
- September 19, 2008, 22:45 local (Sep 20, 2008, 04:45 UTC)
- Place
- Provo, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N420FPDiamond DA40F
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 68965
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 in-flight collision with a bird.
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
During an instructional cross-country flight at a cruise altitude of 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl), a bird impacted the leading edge of the airplane's right wing. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported the airplane remained controllable, but had a tendency to roll to the right and he elected to land at a nearby airport. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the right wing, approximately 2-3 feet inboard of the wing tip. No preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported.
Factual narrative
During an instructional cross-country flight at a cruise altitude of 8,500 feet mean sea level (msl), a bird impacted the leading edge of the airplane's right wing. The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported the airplane remained controllable, but had a tendency to roll to the right and he elected to land at a nearby airport. Examination of the airplane revealed structural damage to the right wing, approximately 2-3 feet inboard of the wing tip. No preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N420FP
- Reported as
- Diamond DA40F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.FC020
- Airframe hours
- 1,022
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Utah State University
- Registered owner
- Utah State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2008
- Departed
- KU14 · Nephi, UT
- Destination
- KLGU · Logan, UT
- Airport
- KPVU · Provo Municipal Airport
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 558 total · 244 in this make and model · 479 as pilot in command · 89 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F