On 24 Sep 2017, an AEROTRIKE SAFARI NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Bridgeton, NJ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing while conducting an off-airport precautionary landing after a bird strike. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Pilot of a weight-shift-control aircraft made a hard landing in a field after a bird struck the wing support cable, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and wing.
Accident Details
A pilot reported an accident involving a weight-shift-control aircraft. The incident occurred during a base leg turn when a flock of small birds entered the flight path. The pilot banked to avoid them, but a moment later a larger bird struck the support cable on the right wing. No control issues were evident after the strike, but the pilot decided to land in a cleared field to check the structure for damage.
Sequence of Events
During the landing in the field, the nosewheel hit the ground hard. This resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wing. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the weight-shift-control aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Damage
The hard landing caused substantial damage to the fuselage and wing of the aircraft.