Incident Overview
During a landing, a pilot reported that the approach was uneventful until touchdown, when four deer appeared and ran across the runway from the west. The pilot attempted to avoid a collision by raising the nose of the aircraft, hoping the deer would pass underneath. One of the deer impacted the nose wheel, shearing it off. The pilot then lowered the nose to the runway and brought the aircraft to a complete stop.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage as a result of the collision. The pilot and the sole passenger were not injured.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot's report, the landing was normal until the deer were seen at touchdown. The pilot's immediate action was to raise the nose to allow the deer to pass beneath the aircraft. Despite this maneuver, a deer struck and removed the nose wheel. The pilot then safely controlled the aircraft to a stop on the runway.