On July 8, 1996, a Mooney M20C (registration N6715N) was involved in an aviation accident near Payson, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: animals on the runway. A factor was the dark night. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landed at his home base airport at night after overflying a herd of elk, but during rollout the airplane collided with two elk from another herd. Police detected alcohol on his breath and administered tests.
Event Details
A pilot returned to his home base airport during nighttime conditions. While approaching the runway, he observed a herd of elk near the approach end. The pilot overflew the herd and proceeded to land on the remaining runway. However, during the rollout, the airplane collided with two elk from another herd.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that he was aware that elk and other animals had unrestricted access to the runway because no fence surrounded the airport. He also noted that a notice indicating the occurrence of such animals had been published in the FAA Airport/Facility Directory.
Police Involvement
The Payson police department reported detecting the odor of an intoxicating beverage on the pilot's breath. The pilot stated that about 1830 the previous evening he drank a couple of beers while in Laughlin, Nevada. Police administered a field sobriety test and a portable breath test (PBT) on the pilot at 0304. The PBT sample produced results at the 0.03 percent level.