Primary finding
Probable cause
An in-flight collision with a bird during the approach.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot flying the airplane reported that, during an instrument flight rules instructional flight, the airplane was established on a very high frequency omnidirectional range approach. The pilot reported that, during the approach, he observed a large bird dive into the airplane's nose section. The pilot recalled that there was no time to react between the initial observation and impact. He terminated the training flight and landed the airplane as soon as practical and without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot in command (PIC) of the airplane reported that during an instrument flight rules instructional flight, the airplane was established on a very high frequency omnidirectional range approach. The PIC reported that during the approach he observed a large bird that dove into the nose section of the airplane. The PIC recalled that there wasn't any reaction time between the initial observation and impact. He terminated the training flight and landed the airplane as soon as practical and without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage frame. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.