Probable cause
The inadvertent in-flight collision with several Mallard ducks.
NTSB analysis
The airplane collided with several Mallard ducks during an instructional flight in night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot-in-command reported that, as the airplane was descending through 4,200 feet, he heard a “loud pop” and felt a “violent rush of air.” The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, sustained serious injuries when one duck penetrated the right cockpit windshield and struck his face. The pilot-in-command seated in the left seat was not injured. The flight crew decided to return to the departure airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial structural damage to the right wing leading edge. All observed damage to the windshield and nose cone was consistent with the airplane colliding with several birds during flight.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10TA194 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 7, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Center, North Dakota
- Highest injury
- Serious
- Serious injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Night, dark
Beech 95-B55
- N-number
- N70283
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Public aircraft
- Purpose of flight
- Public aircraft
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.