Incident Overview
A pilot reported that the airplane he was flying struck a bird during the landing phase of a local flight. The pilot stated that at the time of the impact, the airplane was at an altitude of 50 feet above ground level, approximately 100 feet from the approach end of the runway. The aircraft was descending at a rate of 300 feet per minute and traveling at a speed of 80 mph.
Sequence of Events
The pilot indicated that the bird impacted the airplane's right wing. As a result, the right wing lost lift. In response, the pilot applied full left rudder, full left aileron, and increased engine power to maximum. Despite these corrective actions, the airplane touched down with what the pilot described as a "moderate impact" on the main landing gear.
Pilot Actions
The pilot's immediate inputs included full left rudder and full left aileron to counter the asymmetric lift loss, along with application of full engine power. The landing was executed on the main landing gear with moderate force.