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ERA22LA084

2021-12-03 · Midland, Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HWY

Current FAA registration · N2100S

Make / Model
CESSNA 172S
Year of manufacture
2004 · 17 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-360-L2A (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20040205
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1BBEB

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

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

Factual 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. 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
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Wing structure-Spar (on wing)-Damaged/degraded
  • — 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_ERA22LA084.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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