What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2007-07-20 involved a Cessna 150M, registration N531M, at Woodland, CA.

Bird Strike Leads to Forced Landing and Nose-Over in Tomato Field (N531M)

On July 20, 2007, a Cessna 150M (registration N531M) was involved in an aviation accident near Woodland, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An in-flight collision with a bird. A factor in the accident was the deteriorated aircraft performance capability due to the increased drag that made continued flight impossible. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

A bird struck the windshield of an airplane on downwind, causing fragmentation and injuring the instructor. The student lost control due to drag; the instructor, with impaired vision, made a forced landing in a tomato field, resulting in a nose-over.

Incident Overview

During a landing approach, an airplane experienced a bird strike while on the downwind leg. The bird struck the passenger side portion of the windshield, causing the windshield to fragment and collapse inward. The fragmentation injured the flight instructor.

Immediate Aftermath

The student pilot was unable to maintain the airplane's airspeed or altitude due to the increased drag from the missing windshield. As a result, the flight instructor took over control of the aircraft. However, the instructor's vision was impaired because of blood in his eyes. He applied full power and turned the airplane towards the runway threshold, but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude.

Forced Landing

The instructor executed a forced landing in a tomato field, landing perpendicular to the furrows. Upon touchdown, the airplane nosed over. The remains of a large hawk were later found in the back of the cockpit.

Aftermath

No further details regarding injuries or damage were specified in the source.

2007-07-20: Cessna 150M (N531M) — Woodland, CA