No fatalities

1 Jun 2018: BEECH F33A — Martinsville, VA

Martinsville, VA, United States

On 1 Jun 2018, a BEECH F33A was involved in an aviation accident near Martinsville, VA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The airplane’s collision with a deer during takeoff. 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 takeoff, an airplane's right main landing gear struck a deer. The pilot continued to a maintenance facility, where substantial damage to the right wing spar was found. No mechanical malfunctions were reported.

Incident Details

According to the pilot, the right main landing gear of the airplane struck a deer during takeoff. The pilot reported that the airplane had initially cleared the deer, "until it bounded up and hit the right wheel."

Post-Event Actions

After the strike, the pilot continued the initial climb and communicated with observers on the ground. The pilot flew near the observers, who confirmed that the landing gear was extended and appeared undamaged. Subsequently, the pilot flew to a maintenance facility with the landing gear extended and landed to assess the damage.

Damage Assessment

Upon inspection, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The specific extent of the damage was not further detailed in the report.

Pilot's Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Effect on equipment