NTSB GAA16CA095 — 2015-12-30 · Fort Worth, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N2135B

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture: 1978 · 37 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19781005
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A1C7B0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N2135B Piper PA 28-161 None

Probable cause & findings

An inadvertent collision with a bird while on downwind in the airport pattern.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that while in the left downwind, a bird impacted the right leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor further reported that he landed without further incident. A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the stabilator. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that while in the left downwind, a bird impacted the right leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor further reported that he landed without further incident. A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the stabilator. The flight instructor reported that 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)-Effect on equipment - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA16CA095.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.