Primary finding
Probable cause
An inflight collision with a bird while conducting low level aerobatics.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was practicing aerobatics (about 400- 600 ft above ground level) when a “large” bird impacted the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The airplane rolled and yawed slightly after the impact, but the pilot was able to maintain control of the airplane and land immediately without incident.