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ERA22LA044

2021-10-31 · STEVENSVILLE, Maryland, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport W29

Current FAA registration · N3HQ

Make / Model
CESSNA 172N
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19770520
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A31B5E

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 instructor reported that during the initial climb, about 100 ft above ground level, he observed three birds on his left side, and he banked the airplane right. The trailing bird turned into the airplane, contacted the propeller, continued through the windshield, and struck the instructor in the face. After regaining control of the airplane, the instructor landed the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the windshield, and the instructor sustained minor injuries. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA22LA044.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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