Skip to content

CEN10CA202

2010-04-11 · Middlefield, Ohio, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N6314P

Make / Model
PIPER PA-24-180
Year of manufacture
1959 · 51 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19591111
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A84465

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The inadvertent in-flight collision with a bird.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the airplane collided with an eagle while descending through 2,700 feet. After the bird strike, he diverted to a nearby airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial damage to the engine firewall and right cockpit windshield. All observed damage was consistent with the airplane colliding with a bird while in flight. The pilot reported that the airplane collided with an eagle during cruise flight while descending through 2,700 feet. After the bird strike, he diverted to a nearby airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial damage to the engine firewall and right cockpit windshield. All observed damage was consistent with the airplane colliding with a bird while in flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Effect on equipment - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_CEN10CA202.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.