On November 22, 1997, an American AA-1 (registration N6214L) was involved in an aviation accident near Nevada, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: a deer that ran onto the runway as the airplane was landing. The reduced light condition at dusk was a related factor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During landing rollout, a pilot attempted to avoid a deer by veering right, but the animal suddenly entered the runway and struck the left wing.
The pilot reported that during touchdown, he saw a deer standing off the left side of the runway and about 50 yards ahead of his position. He veered to the right in an attempt to provide a greater clearance between the airplane and the deer; however, the deer 'suddenly bolted' onto the runway and collided with the left wing of the airplane.