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LAX90LA108

1990-01-19 · SACRAMENTO, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SAC

Current FAA registration · N38908

Make / Model
PIPER PA-32R-300
Year of manufacture
1977 · 13 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-540 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19770728
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A47F32

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

AN INADVERTENT COLLISION WITH A LARGE BIRD DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS WHILE IN THE LANDING PATTERN.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT OF A PIPER PA32 ENCOUNTERED A LARGE BIRD WHILE ON DOWNWIND FOR LANDING. THE BIRD IMPACTED THE HORIZONTAL ELEVATOR CAUSING IT TO BIND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITH NO MORE DIFFICULTIES. THE DAMAGE TO THE ELEVATOR REQUIRED ITS REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_LAX90LA108.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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