Primary finding
Probable cause
An in-flight collision with a bird while enroute.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during the enroute portion of the flight, he received instructions from air traffic control to descend to an altitude of 1,000 ft for departing traffic. Shortly after executing the descent, several birds suddenly appeared in front of the airplane leaving no time to take evasive action. One of the birds impacted, the airplane’s left-side windshield and roof structure, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot declared an emergency and landed uneventfully at a nearby airport.