Event GAA19CA086

Factual narrative

The pilot receiving instruction reported that, while inbound on a practice instrument landing system (ILS) approach with the "foggles (view limiting device)" on. The flight instructor reported that, about 1 mile from the runway, a something struck the left wing. The pilot added that the airplane landed without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed the left wing sustained substantial damage. It was presumed that a bird struck the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot receiving instruction reported that, while inbound on a practice instrument landing system approach about 1 mile from the runway, something struck the left wing. He added that he landed the airplane without further incident. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing sustained substantial damage. Given the evidence and the pilot's, it is likely that a bird struck the airplane. 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).

• C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Effect on operation - C