What happened
On January 14, 2005, a Cessna 172N, registration CS-ASU, was conducting a visual navigation training flight from Tires (Cascais) to Faro. The crew, consisting of a flight instructor and a student pilot, intended to perform a low-altitude pass over runway 10 at Faro Airport before returning to their base.
While executing the low-altitude pass at approximately 50 feet, the aircraft struck a pigeon. The impact caused the windshield to fracture and shatter, sending fragments into the cockpit. Due to the structural damage and the inability to safely continue the mission, the instructor took control of the aircraft and performed an unplanned landing at Faro Airport.
The investigation
The GPIAAF investigation confirmed that the flight was a scheduled training mission in accordance with the flight school's syllabus. The crew members were both properly qualified and medically fit for the operation. The aircraft was found to be airworthy and fully certified for the intended mission.
Upon inspection of the landing area, investigators located the remains of a pigeon on the runway, confirming the nature of the impact. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was not equipped with flight recorders, which was not considered a hindrance to the findings.