Accident Details
The pilot was conducting a test flight to verify the operation of his landing gear. As part of the flight, he attempted a low approach over a grass strip located between the runway and the maintenance building at the airport. While flying over the grass strip, a flock of egrets suddenly took off and flew up ahead of the airplane. In an attempt to avoid the birds, the pilot struck the ground.
After the impact, the airplane became airborne briefly before the pilot performed an emergency landing due to propeller damage. The landing occurred in the runway overrun area on the east side of the airport property.
Investigation Findings
The investigation relied on the pilot's account of the events. The pilot reported that the low approach was intended to check landing gear operation, and the encounter with the egrets prompted an evasive maneuver that led to ground contact. The resulting propeller damage necessitated the emergency landing. No other factors or causes were identified in the source.