- Date
- November 16, 1992, 17:20 local (Nov 17, 1992, 01:20 UTC)
- Place
- Vancouver, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4324RCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921117046839A
- Case key
- 42963
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's inability to see birds due to darkness.
Analysis
The pilot of the Cessna 172 was performing night landings in order to maintain his night currency. He had momentarily departed the pattern, and then reentered on a 45 degree entry for downwind, in order to practice a pattern entry at night. Just prior to turning downwind, the pilot saw canadian geese illuminated in the aircraft's landing light. About one second later one goose came through the windscreen, and at least one other goose impacted the left wing.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4324R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263077
- Airframe hours
- 3,304
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tabooma Flyers Inc.
- Registered owner
- Tabooma Flyers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1992 · 337 hours before
- Airport
- 60S · Pearson Airpark, runway 26, 3,200 × 60 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 76 in this make and model · 130 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 5.5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 260° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4324R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.