On 30 Nov 2009, a PILATUS BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2B-26 operated by Inter Island Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Pago Pago, PO, American Samoa. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's action to maneuver the airplane to avoid a collision with a flock of birds while on final approach, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident were the birds. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a maintenance test flight, a pilot maneuvered to avoid birds, leading to a hard landing on the left main gear, followed by a violent turn due to braking. Postaccident inspection revealed structural damage to the left wing.
Incident Details
A pilot was conducting a maintenance test flight at an airport located on the water's edge on an island in the Pacific Ocean. As the pilot began the landing flare, several birds flew in front of the windscreen. To avoid hitting the birds, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to the left.
Sequence of Events
The airplane subsequently landed hard on the left main landing gear, just left of the runway centerline. After touchdown, to avoid running off the runway, the pilot applied right braking action. This resulted in the airplane turning violently to the right and coming to a stop with the nose between 20 and 30 degrees from the runway centerline.
Damage Assessment
Postaccident inspection of the airplane found that the left wing was wrinkled and structurally damaged.