Pilot Debrief

BEECH 95-B55 near Center, ND — 2010-04-07

Final reportCEN10TA194
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Date
2010-04-07
Location
Center, ND, USA
Aircraft
BEECH 95-B55
Registration
N70283
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The inadvertent in-flight collision with several Mallard ducks.

NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with several Mallard ducks during an instructional flight in night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot-in-command reported that, as the airplane was descending through 4,200 feet, he heard a “loud pop” and felt a “violent rush of air.” The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, sustained serious injuries when one duck penetrated the right cockpit windshield and struck his face. The pilot-in-command seated in the left seat was not injured. The flight crew decided to return to the departure airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial structural damage to the right wing leading edge. All observed damage to the windshield and nose cone was consistent with the airplane colliding with several birds during flight.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Environmental

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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