Probable cause
An in-flight collision with a bird while enroute.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that during the enroute portion of the flight, he received instructions from air traffic control to descend to an altitude of 1,000 ft for departing traffic. Shortly after executing the descent, several birds suddenly appeared in front of the airplane leaving no time to take evasive action. One of the birds impacted, the airplane’s left-side windshield and roof structure, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot declared an emergency and landed uneventfully at a nearby airport.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA26LA158 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Mar 27, 2026
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida
- Nearest airport
- Daytona International Airport (DAB)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cirrus Design Corp SR22
- N-number
- N41CA
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2017
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.