No fatalities

22 Jun 2015: CESSNA 172 S — Aviation Adventures — Upperville, VA

Upperville, VA, United States
SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A student pilot continued flight to his home airport after a bird strike damaged the right wing spar, landing without incident despite needing abnormal left aileron input.

Incident Overview

A student pilot was flying en route to his home airport when the airplane sustained a bird strike to the right wing. The student pilot reported that he checked the flight controls and engine performance after the strike, and made the decision to continue the flight to his destination.

Pilot Actions

During the approach, the student pilot noticed that it took an abnormal amount of left aileron to maintain level flight. Despite this, he successfully landed the airplane without further incident. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to the flight that would have prevented normal operation.

Damage Assessment

A subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar.

Probable cause

A bird strike to the right wing.

Contributing factors

Effect on equipment