No fatalities

23 Jul 2015: CESSNA 150M M — Heartland Fliers, LLC — Apopka, FL

Apopka, FL, United States

On 23 Jul 2015, a CESSNA 150M M operated by Heartland Fliers, LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Apopka, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Following a bird strike during takeoff, the pilot's decision to land without sufficient runway remaining to safely stop the airplane, which resulted in an over-run, collision with terrain, and nose over. 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 a touch-and-go landing, a bird strike occurred on the right side, prompting the pilot to abort takeoff. Unable to stop on remaining runway, the airplane departed the runway, impacted terrain, and nosed over.

Incident Overview

During a takeoff following a touch-and-go landing, a flight of birds flew in front of the airplane, resulting in a bird strike on the right side of the aircraft. The pilot subsequently aborted the takeoff and landed on the runway. However, the pilot reported that there was "no runway distance for safe landing," and the airplane was unable to stop before departing the end of the runway.

Sequence of Events

After the bird strike, the pilot initiated an aborted takeoff. The airplane touched down on the runway but could not decelerate sufficiently to remain on the pavement. The aircraft continued off the end of the runway, where it impacted terrain and nosed over.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained minor damage from the bird strike itself. During the accident sequence involving the runway excursion and impact with terrain, the fuselage and empennage received substantial damage.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. This indicates that the aircraft was functioning properly before the bird strike event.

Contributing factors

PilotSurface speed/braking — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation