Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a daytime landing at a non-tower-controlled airport, the airplane had just touched down and was traveling at approximately 60 mph when four deer were seen running across the runway. The pilot stated there was no time to react and that the collision with one of the deer was unavoidable.
Damage Details
The impact caused a rupture of the fuel cell in the wing, along with substantial damage to the wing spar, engine compartment firewall, and lower fuselage.
Pilot Statement
According to the pilot, the deer appeared suddenly after touchdown, and there was insufficient time to take evasive action.