Accident Overview
An instructor reported that he was providing instruction to a pre-solo student pilot. During the last touch-and-go of the training flight, the airplane struck a deer on the runway. The accident occurred at dusk.
Sequence of Events
The student was at the controls at the time of the impact. The instructor stated that he did not see the deer. He felt a bump but initially thought the airplane had hit a pothole, until the student informed him that they had hit a deer. After the impact, the student continued the rotation, after which the instructor took control of the airplane.
The instructor planned to land immediately to inspect the damage, but the deer remained on the runway. He then decided to return to the home airport, where emergency personnel were available, as he was uncertain about the condition of the landing gear. The subsequent landing was completed without incident.
Damage
During the occurrence, the left wing, left flap, and main spar were damaged.