Primary finding
Probable cause
The airplane’s impact with a deer during a night landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was landing at the destination airport following a night cross-country instructional flight when during landing the airplane struck a deer. The flight instructor, who had taken control of the airplane when they saw the deer, maintained control of the airplane, and taxied the airplane off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and reported that he did everything in his control to avoid the deer.