Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172S near Midland, VA — 2021-12-03

Final reportERA22LA084
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Date
2021-12-03
Location
Midland, VA, USA
Airport
HWY
Aircraft
CESSNA 172S
Registration
N2100S
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

Collision with a bird in flight, which resulted in damage to the right-wing leading-edge spar.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that they were performing some touch-and-go landings at the local airport. They were on a left crosswind turning to a left downwind when they noticed 4-5 large birds circling and moving from left to right. He stated that he believed the left turn they were in would avoid the birds; however, one of the birds impacted the leading edge of the right wing. The flight characteristics and handling seemed unchanged, so they continued to fly the normal flight pattern and performed a normal landing. The bird strike resulted in substantial damage to the right-wing leading-edge spar.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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