Primary finding
Probable cause
The airplane’s collision with a deer during the landing roll.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During a night landing, the flight crew made a visual approach to the runway and the airplane touched down without any abnormalities. As the airplane slowed through about 80 knots, a deer appeared in the airplane’s landing lights. The deer then ran across the runway and was struck by the airplane’s nose wheel. Postaccident examination revealed that the nosewheel well pressure vessel sustained substantial damage as a result of the collision.
Source record
Factual narrative
During a night landing, the crew made a visual approach to the runway and the airplane touched down without any abnormalities. As the airplane slowed from about 80 knots, a deer appeared in the airplane’s landing lights. The deer then ran across the runway in front of the airplane and impacted the nose wheel. An examination of the airplane revealed that the nose wheel well pressure vessel sustained substantial damage in the collision.