Cessna 172 N4331R

Summary

On 20 November 2016 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N4331R, operated by Consolidated Aviation Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Dayton, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 November 2016 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Dayton, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Mark Anton (2A0)

Coordinates

35.4861, -84.9311

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N4331R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Consolidated Aviation Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Knoxville → Dayton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA079

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot’s inability to maintain pitch and bank control during the landing after the airplane was struck by a deer.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the student pilot, the single-engine airplane was configured in a crab profile during the landing. After the flare, the airplane settled into ground effect and a deer then approached the airplane from the left and struck the left main landing gear. The pilot initiated a go-around, but the left wing struck the ground. The airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop after exiting the runway to the right. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The airport facility directory stated that deer were present on and near the airport. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.