Piper PA-28-140 N5714F accident near Pittsfield, Illinois

Probable cause

The collision with a deer during the aborted landing in night visual meteorological conditions.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor and the pilot-receiving-instruction were conducting a night landing in visual meteorological conditions when upon touchdown a deer ran across the runway ahead of the airplane. They aborted the landing due to insufficient distance to slow the airplane and avoid the deer. Shortly after liftoff, a second deer attempted to cross the runway and struck the front left side of the airplane. Without sufficient runway remaining to land, the flight instructor continued with the takeoff, entered the traffic pattern, and made an uneventful landing. The flight instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The airplane’s left wing sustained substantial damage where it struck the deer.

The publicly owned airport does not have wildlife fencing installed to exclude deer and other mammals, nor is it required to. The FAA Airport/Facility Directory does include a remark for deer and migratory waterfowl on and in the vicinity of the airport. According to FAA CertAlert No. 16-03, Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing, the installation of a 10-foot-high fence with 3-strand barbed wire outriggers is the best way of keeping deer out of aircraft movement areas.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN25LA353 for the full record.