No fatalities

Night Vision Training Flight Damages Wing After Bird Strike

Boise, ID, United States

On November 10, 2018, a Cessna 206 Undesignat operated by Aviation Specialties Unlimited Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Boise, ID. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The airplane’s impact with a bird during the approach. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During a night vision goggles training flight, a flight instructor and crew felt a thump after observing geese. The airplane landed safely with substantial left wing damage.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor reported an incident that occurred during a training flight conducted while using night vision goggles. While in the traffic pattern during a turn, the instructor observed a small flock of geese. Shortly after this observation, the flight crew felt and heard a thump.

Aftermath and Landing

Following the thump, the flight crew reconfigured the rudder and flap settings. They were able to land the airplane without further incident.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing as a result of the event.

Mechanical Status

The flight instructor stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Effect on equipment