NTSB CEN13CA495 — 2013-08-17 · Kankakee, Illinois, United States

Current FAA registration · N5148A

Make / Model: CESSNA 172
Year of manufacture: 1956 · 57 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR 0-300 SER (145 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560105
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A673BC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N5148A Cessna 172 None

Probable cause & findings

The airplane struck a deer during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the perimeter fence being less than FAA's recommended 10 feet high.

Factual narrative

The pilot said that as he rotated the airplane for liftoff, he struck a deer. He made the decision to continue the takeoff and successfully flew the airplane around the traffic pattern and landed without incident. Postaccident examination revealed the lower forward fuselage and cowling were crushed, and the propeller was bent. There is a fence surrounding the airport, but it does not meet FAA's recommendation of being at least 10 feet high. The airplane struck a deer as it was rotated for liftoff. There is a fence surrounding the airport, but it does not meet FAA's recommendation of being at least 10 feet high. 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
F Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome - F

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2013_CEN13CA495.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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