What happened
On July 25, 2018, a Cessna 172R, registration JA10AZ, was conducting flight training at Kohnan Aerodrome in Okayama City. The flight crew, consisting of a pilot-in-command acting as an instructor and a student pilot, was performing a power-off accuracy approach maneuver. This specific type of training involves gliding with the engine at idle to practice precise touchdown points.
While the aircraft was executing a right turn from the downwind leg toward the final approach for Runway 09, a bird suddenly emerged from below and to the left of the aircraft's flight path. The bird struck the leading edge of the right wing. At the moment of impact, the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 450 feet with an airspeed between 60 and 65 knots. The pilot-in-command immediately suspended the training maneuver and successfully landed the aircraft at the aerodrome. There were no injuries to the three occupants on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the physical damage to the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the collision. Post-flight inspections revealed a significant dent on the leading edge of the right wing, measuring approximately 20 cm in length, 35 cm in width, and 1.3 cm in depth. No malfunctions were found in the engine or control systems following the impact.
Investigators identified the bird as a brown Milvus migrans, measuring roughly 30 cm in length. While the aerodrome administrator reported that no birds were detected during routine runway inspections prior to operations, the bird remained lodged in the wing leading edge until the aircraft landed, at which point it fell onto the runway.