Amateur-built TITAN T-51D N251LM accident near Bristow, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The collision with two deer during takeoff which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was initiating a takeoff from his private airstrip when he saw two deer off the right wing. He then felt a thump at the right main landing gear and heard a thud near the right wing root. The airplane pitched aggressively nose down and rolled right. The pilot applied corrective control inputs and reduced engine power, which enabled him to return the airplane onto the runway surface, but the airplane was in a 40o left turn relative to the runway centerline. The airplane veered off the runway and struck trees resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA054 for the full record.