Overview
On June 18, 2021, at about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310R airplane, registration N310LC, sustained substantial damage following a wildlife strike during landing at Portland Municipal Airport (PLD) in Portland, Indiana. The flight was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi. The pilot and the sole passenger were not injured.
Incident Details
The pilot reported that he diverted to PLD due to thunderstorms in the area. During the landing flare, a deer ran onto the left side of the runway and collided with the airplane. The impact separated the left main landing gear from the aircraft. The airplane veered to the left, exited the runway, and came to rest in a ditch. The collision caused substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a Cessna 310R, a twin-engine piston light aircraft commonly used for air taxi and private operations. The specific registration, N310LC, was noted in the investigation records.
Airport Information
Portland Municipal Airport (PLD) is a general aviation airport located in Portland, Indiana. According to the report, the airport does not have a perimeter fence for wildlife hazard mitigation, which may have contributed to the presence of deer on the runway environment.