Cessna 305 N19YM accident near Williamston, North Carolina

Probable cause

Loss of directional control to avoid a deer during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a culvert.

NTSB analysis

Just prior to touch down, the pilot saw a deer to his left. As the airplane settled, he corrected to the right to avoid the deer but over-corrected and could not straighten the airplane’s path. He added full power to attempt a go-around maneuver; however, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and collided with a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA24LA025 for the full record.