Accident Details
On the day of the accident, an aircraft operated by Stevens Aviation, Inc., and registered to the United States Customs Service, conducted a maintenance test flight to evaluate the autopilot and flight director systems following a cockpit modernization. The flight, operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, was performed in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
The airplane completed the NDB/GPS RWY 27 instrument approach procedure and circled to land on Runway 9 at Greenwood County Airport (GRD), Greenwood, South Carolina. Approximately five seconds into the landing rollout, a deer emerged from the tree line and crossed the runway path. The deer struck the leading edge of the left wing above the left main landing gear, rupturing an adjacent fuel cell.
Immediate Aftermath
The pilot maintained directional control and stopped the aircraft on the runway. Fuel spilled and ignited. The two certificated airline transport pilots performed an emergency shutdown and evacuated without injury. The aircraft was substantially damaged and subsequently consumed by the postcrash fire.
Airport Context
Greenwood County Airport did not have an on-site fire station. The fixed base operator contacted emergency services via 911, and fire trucks arrived approximately ten minutes after notification.
The airport manager stated that Greenwood was not a FAR Part 139 airport and had no published wildlife management program. However, she had been proactive in eradicating hazardous wildlife, primarily deer and wild turkeys. She sought guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and attended a wildlife management course. Among USDA suggestions was removing deer habitat; the manager proposed adding the area between the runway and taxiway to an approach clearing project.
The manager collaborated with a local charity and hunters with depredation permits to remove deer from airport property, averaging 50 deer annually. Hunts were conducted from stands at least one mile from runways, using shotguns only, between 0700 and 1000 hours. On the accident morning, the last shot was fired at 0930. The manager noted that hunters remained on the property afterward to eat lunch, but emphasized the hunt had concluded hours before the accident. She speculated the deer was likely flushed by another deer or a coyote.
Post-Accident Actions
Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration contacted state authorities, leading to Greenwood County Airport being added to a list of airports allocated funding for improvements. A second 10-foot perimeter fence was added around the existing 6-foot fence. Since construction, only four deer have been taken inside the perimeter, and no wild turkeys have been sighted.