- Date
- June 11, 2026, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Morgan Hill, CA · approx. location of bird strike
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N55231Cessna 172S
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20260611005979A
- Case key
- 203179
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
The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction reported that during a training flight, while performing maneuvers at 1,200 ft mean sea level, they observed a large bird to the right of the airplane. The pilot maneuvered to avoid the bird; however, the bird collided with the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage. Following the bird strike, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and landed uneventfully.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55231
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11414
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 5,148
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 7, 2026 · 71.2 hours before
- Departed
- RHV · San Jose, CA
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 2, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 543.3 total · 515.3 in this make and model · 450.8 as pilot in command · 96.1 in the last 90 days · 19.3 in the last 30 days · 3.9 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 263.4 total · 263.4 in this make and model · 171 as pilot in command · 52.7 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KE16, 3 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KE16 112230Z AUTO 20011G16KT 8SM -RA CLR 31/13 A2980 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.8 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.
Other investigations on N55231 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.