Aircraft Damaged After Striking Deer During Nighttime Touch-and-Go (N2292M)

What happened

The incident occurred during a dark night at an airport that lacked specific wildlife control equipment despite having security perimeter fencing. The pilot was conducting a touch-and-go landing procedure when the aircraft encountered a deer on the runway surface during the landing roll phase. The collision resulted in physical damage to the airframe and landing gear components.

The investigation

Post-accident examination revealed that the right wing leading edge sustained impact damage. Additionally, the right main landing gear was damaged as a result of the wildlife strike. The airport infrastructure included perimeter fencing but did not possess specialized systems designed to deter or control wildlife presence on the airfield.

Findings

The primary factor contributing to the incident was the presence of wildlife on the active runway during low-visibility night operations. The lack of specific wildlife mitigation equipment at the facility may have contributed to the risk, although the immediate cause was the physical collision with the animal.