Primary finding
Probable cause
The airplane’s collision with a deer on the runway during landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
During the landing flare, a deer ran onto the left side of the runway and collided with the airplane; the left main landing gear separated from the airplane. The airplane veered to the left and continued off the runway into a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaacident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport does not have a perimeter fence for wildlife hazard mitigation.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 18, 2021, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310R airplane, N310LC, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at Portland Municipal Airport (PLD), Portland, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The pilot reported that he diverted to PLD due to thunderstorms. During the landing flare, a deer ran onto the left side of the runway and collided with airplane, separating the left main landing gear from the airplane. The airplane veered to the left and continued off the runway into a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The airport does not have a perimeter fence for wildlife hazard mitigation.