No fatalities

8 Jul 2016: STINSON 108 3 — Red Lodge, MT

Red Lodge, MT, United States

On 8 Jul 2016, a STINSON 108 3 was involved in an aviation accident near Red Lodge, MT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A deer running across the runway and impacting the left side of the airplane, resulting in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and a ground loop. 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

A tailwheel airplane veered left and ground looped after hitting a deer during takeoff. The pilot applied right rudder and brake but could not prevent the accident. Substantial damage to wings, empennage, and fuselage.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the takeoff roll, a deer ran onto the runway from the left. The pilot applied right rudder in an attempt to avoid the collision, but the deer impacted the airplane between the left pilot's door and the horizontal stabilizer.

Sequence of Events

Following the impact, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to recover by applying maximum right brake and right rudder, but these actions were ineffective. The airplane departed the runway to the left, ground looped, and nosed over.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage.

Mechanical Status

The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation

Other contributing factors

Pilot