- Date
- October 4, 2025, 13:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lathrop, CA · Estimated point in flight where impact occurred
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N103VKCessna 172S
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 201832
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 inflight 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
The pilot reported that during a training flight in visual meteorological conditions at 900 ft mean sea level, an object impacted the left wing of the airplane, which resulted in substantial damage. According to the FAA, there were no reported missing drones in the area at the time of the accident and a review of radar data showed no primary radar targets in the area. The FAA reported significant bird migration activity, which included several large bird species that would have been active in the area at the time of the accident. While there was no evidence of bird remnants or feathers on the wing, the impact area spanned nearly 3 ft with no puncture of the leading-edge skin, consistent with impact with a large bird. The flight instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103VK
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S8532
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 6,651.9
- Engine
- Lycoming 10-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Skyview Aviation
- Registered owner
- CC Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2025
- Departed
- TCY · Tracy, CA
- Airport
- None · Open field
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 17, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,982 total · 378 in this make and model · 1,908 as pilot in command · 112.4 in the last 90 days · 16.3 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 225.2 total · 80.3 in this make and model · 172.9 as pilot in command · 63.3 in the last 90 days · 29.7 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- TCY, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KTCY 042035Z AUTO VRB06KT 10SM CLR 23/10 A2995 RMK A01
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB in all.
Other investigations on N103VK · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.