On October 4, 2004, a Cessna 152 (registration N24373) was involved in an aviation accident near San Jose, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: an in-flight 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.
During an instructional flight, a bird struck the right wing of an airplane on downwind leg for landing runway 31L. The CFI landed safely; damage was 2 feet across with crushing.
Incident Overview
The event occurred during a local training flight with a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a student pilot. The airplane was established on the downwind leg in preparation for landing on runway 31L. Air traffic control from the tower had cleared the aircraft to land. As the airplane became abeam the runway numbers, a bird collided with the right wing. Neither the CFI nor the student identified the bird species; they only observed a brief flash of its wing. The instructor noticed damage to the wing but assessed that the airplane remained controllable. The CFI assumed control of the aircraft and executed a landing on runway 31L. After landing and clearing the runway, the pilots notified the tower of the bird strike.
Wing Damage
The damage was confined to the leading edge of the right wing. The affected area measured approximately 2 feet across, with about 8 to 12 inches of crushing deformation along the longitudinal axis of the wing.
What happened in the 4 Oct 2004 Cessna 152 accident near San Jose, CA?
During an instructional flight, a bird struck the right wing of an airplane on downwind leg for landing runway 31L. The CFI landed safely; damage was 2 feet across with crushing.
Were there any fatalities in the 4 Oct 2004 Cessna 152 accident?
No fatalities were recorded in this accident.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 4 Oct 2004 involved a Cessna 152, registration N24373, at San Jose, CA.
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