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GAA15CA108

2015-06-04 · Springhill, Louisiana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SPH

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

Unintentional collision with a deer during landing in dusk visual conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that while on final approach he was unable to see the runway clearly due to the setting sun, during the landing roll he reported that the airplane's left wing struck a deer. Subsequently the airplane veered off the runway to the left. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that while on final approach he was unable to see the runway clearly due to the setting sun, during the landing roll he reported that the airplane's left wing struck a deer. Subsequently the airplane veered off the runway to the left. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed substantial damage to the left wing.  The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. 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)-Awareness of condition - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Dark-Effect on personnel

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA108.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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