No fatalities

16 May 2012: CESSNA A185F — WHITEHEAD DENNIS C — Crystal Falls, MI

Crystal Falls, MI, United States

On 16 May 2012, a CESSNA A185F operated by WHITEHEAD DENNIS C was involved in an aviation accident near Crystal Falls, MI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's abrupt maneuver to avoid deer that unexpectedly ran into the airplane's path during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During the landing roll, two deer entered the runway. The pilot's evasive maneuvers resulted in a ground loop and substantial damage to the left wing.

Incident Overview

During the landing roll, two deer emerged from a wooded area and moved onto the runway from left to right in front of the airplane. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the pilot applied left rudder, anticipating that the deer would continue across the runway.

Sequence of Events

One deer continued across the runway as expected. However, the second deer stopped on the runway and reversed direction, heading back into the woods. The pilot then applied right rudder in an effort to avoid this deer. The sudden application of rudder input caused the airplane to ground loop.

Aircraft Damage

During the ground loop, the left wing contacted the terrain, resulting in substantial damage.

Contributing factors

Response/compensationPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained