On 8 Jun 2013, a STIEGELMEYER JOHN R VANS RV-7A was involved in an aviation accident near Vinton, IA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The inadvertent collision with a deer during landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB.
During a daytime landing at a non-tower-controlled airport, an airplane struck a deer after touching down at about 60 mph, causing fuel cell rupture and substantial structural damage.
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.