Incident Overview
During a night landing at a tower-operated, rural, mountaintop airport, an Embraer 120RT struck two deer on the runway. At the time, skies were overcast and light snow was falling. The impact caused the tip of a propeller blade from the number 2 engine to separate, which then punctured the airplane's fuselage.
Runway Inspection and Fence Condition
A runway inspection had commenced shortly before the accident, but the inspection vehicle had not yet reached the area where the collision occurred. The perimeter fence surrounding the airport had two breaches. Monthly maintenance inspections of the perimeter fence had been conducted, but following the accident, the schedule was revised to increase inspections during the fall and winter seasons, when deer activity is higher. A program to clear the fence line of all brush and weeds, as well as remove all trees and brush inside the fence, was scheduled to begin during the spring of 2002.
Wildlife Management
Deer elimination procedures within the fence perimeter were already in effect at the time of the accident. As a result of the incident, these procedures were expanded to include deer near the fence. Additionally, a yearlong wildlife management study was scheduled to commence in August 2001.