What happened
On 2 June 2013, a Gulfstream AA-5B Tiger, registration G-BJAJ, was performing a private flight from Bishops Court in Northern Ireland. While joining the right-hand, downwind circuit for a landing at Mount Rule Airfield, Isle of Man, the pilot was preparing for a short-field arrival by extending the flaps to the full position. During this phase of flight, the aircraft's airspeed had decreased to 80 kt.
As the flaps were nearing the end of their travel, the pilot observed a large brown bird directly in the aircraft's path. The bird struck the leading edge of the right wing, specifically impacting the area near the stall warning sensor and the lowered flap. Because the aircraft was at a low airspeed and the bird was detected at a very late stage, the pilot chose not to perform any sudden evasive maneuvers to avoid the risk of entering uncontrolled flight.
Following the impact, the aircraft remained controllable with no handling difficulties, and the pilot successfully completed a normal landing. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the damage sustained by the aircraft, which included damage to the right wing leading edge, the flap, and the stall warning sensor. The assessment focused on the timing of the bird strike and the pilot's decision-making regarding avoidance maneuvers during the final stages of the approach.