What happened
During nighttime operations, the pilot of a Cessna 185 was conducting a landing approach when a deer suddenly appeared on the active runway. To prevent a collision with the animal, the pilot executed an evasive swerving maneuver. This abrupt change in trajectory caused the aircraft to ground loop.
As the aircraft rotated during the ground loop, the left wing tip and the elevator made contact with the runway surface. Despite the impact, the airframe remained structurally intact enough to allow the pilot to taxi the aircraft off the runway without further incident. The pilot was not injured in the event.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that it had sustained substantial damage. The primary points of contact were identified as the left wing tip and the elevator, consistent with the forces generated during the ground loop maneuver triggered by the avoidance action.