- Date
- January 1, 2012, 16:30 local (Jan 2, 2012, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Eureka, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N45WMMcadam W E Christen Eagle II
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Airport occurrence
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120101000889A
- Case key
- 82591
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
A collision with a deer while landing.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that, during the landing flare, he noticed a deer (or possibly several deer) move onto the runway. In response, he added power and attempted to maneuver away from the animal(s). The airplane impacted what he believed to be a deer. The pilot realized that the airplane had likely incurred damage that could hinder further flight, so he retarded the engine power and landed without further incident. The left wing sustained substantial damage to the leading edge. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Facilities Directory for the airport contained a note stating that there are deer occasionally on the runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare, he noticed a deer (or possibly several deer) move onto the runway. In response, he added power and attempted to maneuver away from the animal(s). The airplane impacted what he believed to be a deer. The pilot retarded the engine power thinking that the airplane had likely incurred damage that would hinder further flight to complete a go-around. The left wing sustained substantial damage to the leading edge. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation The Federal Aviation Administration Airport Facilities Directory for the airport contained a note stating that there are deer occasionally on the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N45WM
- Reported as
- Mcadam W E Christen Eagle II
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- MCADAM-0001
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- EKA · Eureka, CA
- Destination
- EKA · Eureka, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- EKA · Murray Field Airport, runway 12, 3,000 × 75 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1,131 total · 348 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 557 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.