- Date
- November 29, 2023, 12:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Watsonville, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6212FCessna 172N
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231129018039A
- Case key
- 193474
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 while in the initial climb.
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 flight instructor reported that during an instructional flight, while in the initial climb, a bird impacted the leading edge of the left horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor assumed the controls and was able to land safely at the destination airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6212F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273167
- Built
- 1979
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Parker Helicopter LLC
- Registered owner
- Parker Helicopter LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- WVI
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Role
- Student pilot
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 6, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB 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.