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Atlas / NTSB / CEN23LA384

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN23LA384

2023-08-26 West Lafayette, Indiana, United States Airport · LAF None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N767PA

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-44-180

Year of manufacture

2002 · 21 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING O-360 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

20020204

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AA5CCF

Registrant of record

PURDUE AVIATION LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

An in-flight collision with a bird during initial climb.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that during the initial climb, about 600 ft above ground level, his student observed a bird under the nose of the airplane. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and maneuvered the airplane in an attempt to avoid the bird. The bird went over the top of the airplane and struck the vertical stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The flight instructor landed the airplane without further incident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Ability to respond/compensate
  • Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA384.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.