No fatalities

Practice ILS Approach Interrupted by Wing Strike

Reno, NV, United States

On December 3, 2018, a Cessna 182 P was involved in an aviation accident near Reno, NV. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The airplane’s collision with a bird during a practice instrument 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 practice instrument landing system approach, a flight instructor and student pilot experienced a wing strike about one mile from the runway. The airplane landed safely, but postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the left wing.

Incident Overview

A flight instructor and a pilot receiving instruction were conducting a practice instrument landing system (ILS) approach. The student pilot was wearing foggles, a view-limiting device, as part of the training exercise. According to the instructor, about one mile from the runway, an object struck the left wing of the airplane. The student pilot reported that the airplane continued to the runway and landed without further incident.

Postaccident Examination

Following the landing, an examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing had sustained substantial damage. Investigators presumed that a bird struck the airplane, though no direct evidence of a bird was mentioned in the source.

Mechanical Status

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

Contributing factors

Effect on operation