CESSNA 150

Williamsburg, VA — July 27, 2016

Event Information

DateJuly 27, 2016
Event TypeACC
NTSB NumberGAA16CA396
Event ID20160728X85058
LocationWilliamsburg, VA
CountryUSA
Coordinates37.23944, -76.71639
AirportWILLIAMSBURG-JAMESTOWN
Highest InjuryMINR

Aircraft

MakeCESSNA
Model150
CategoryAIR
FAR Part091
Aircraft DamageSUBS

Conditions

Light ConditionDAYL
WeatherVMC

Injuries

Fatal0
Serious0
Minor1
None0
Total Injured1

Event Location

Probable Cause

An evasive maneuver during the landing flare to avoid deer on the runway, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the lack of an airport perimeter fence.

Full Narrative

The solo student pilot reported that during a day visual meteorological condition flight, in the landing flare he saw a deer where he intended to touch down. He further reported that he banked to the right and applied power to go-around, but during the turn to the right he was unable to clear a line of trees in his flight path. The student pilot reported that the landing gear "scraped" one line of trees, and in order to avoid a thicker line of trees ahead, he forced the airplane down into a marsh area.

The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage.

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

During a postaccident interview with an airport representative, he reported that the airport does not a have a perimeter fence.

The Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement airport page for the accident airport in part states: "Deer and birds on and invof [in the vicinity of] arpt."

About This NTSB Record

This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.

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