On August 10, 1999, a Cessna 152 (registration N89186) was involved in an aviation accident near Salt Lake City, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An inadvertent collision with a bird. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot executing an evasive turn to avoid an eagle near Salt Lake City International Airport suffered wing spar damage after the bird struck the right wing. The aircraft landed safely.
Event Details
A pilot was flying southbound over Interstate Highway 15 at 5,500 feet mean sea level after being cleared to enter the class B airspace surrounding Salt Lake City International Airport. Approximately 3 miles northeast of the airport, the pilot observed an eagle soaring at the same altitude and at his 1 o'clock position. As the eagle drew closer, the pilot made an evasive turn to the left, but the eagle struck the right wing about 18 inches inboard of the wing tip. The aircraft subsequently landed on runway 32 without further incident.
Damage
A postaccident inspection conducted by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed damage to the wing spar.