Piper PA-28-140 N15499 accident near Andover, New Jersey

Probable cause

An inadvertent collision with a deer on the runway during a night landing.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, the airplane was on final approach with the runway lights and airplane landing lights illuminated. During the landing flare, he heard a "bang" from the right side of the airplane. As the airplane continued on the landing rollout, the right wing settled onto the ground. The airplane veered to the right and came to rest on the edge of the runway surface. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear was separated, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The separated right main landing gear was located on the runway adjacent to a dead deer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to it colliding with the deer.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA11CA072 for the full record.