What happened
The incident occurred at an airport where the presence of deer had been a known and publicized condition. Prior to initiating the takeoff roll on runway 33, the pilot conducted a visual scan for wildlife in accordance with standard safety practices. As the aircraft accelerated down the runway and began its rotation sequence, a deer unexpectedly entered the flight path directly ahead of the nose gear.
Moments after the main wheels left the ground and the aircraft became airborne, the left wingtip and the left propeller blade struck the animal. The impact caused immediate damage to the forward section of the airframe. Despite the collision occurring during the critical low-altitude phase of flight, the pilot maintained control of the aircraft and successfully executed an aborted takeoff procedure, bringing the plane back to a safe stop on the runway.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the event was the presence of wildlife on the active runway environment. Although the pilot had performed a pre-takeoff check for deer, the animal moved into the path at the last possible moment, leaving insufficient time to avoid contact. The successful abort demonstrates effective pilot decision-making under unexpected circumstances.