Cirrus Design Corp. SR20 N1281 accident near Greenville, Michigan

Probable cause

The deer that ran onto the runway contacting the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the dark night conditions.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported he was planning on making one night touch and go landing. He stated that just as he was rotating on takeoff, he saw a deer run across the runway. In addition, he heard a loud bang and the airplane veered slightly to the left. The pilot stated he was certain he contacted a second deer, but he continued the takeoff as he did not have enough runway left to stop. Once airborne, the pilot was able to see the damage on the left wing. He stated he maintained an additional 10 knots of airspeed and returned to land. The pilot stated the airplane handled "very well" until short final when the left wing dropped and the left main contacted the runway first. He maintained control of the airplane and turned off on a taxiway where he shut down the airplane. The pilot reported he did not see the second deer before it contacted the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CHI08CA263 for the full record.