Incident Overview
On 13 November 2000, a Piper PA-28-180 (registration G-AVSF) was involved in a bird strike while on a cross-country flight from Blackbushe. The pilot, aged 47 and holding a Private Pilot's Licence with an IMC Rating, was the sole occupant and was not injured. The aircraft sustained a dent in the left wing leading edge inboard of the stall warning vane, the pitot head was ripped off, and the underlying wing surface at the pitot attachment points was damaged.
Flight Details
The pilot was maintaining an altitude of 2,300 feet in good visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with visibility of 10 km or more, and was heading generally westerly. The intended route was to track north of the South Downs between Midhurst and Petersfield, then turn left to the south coast, and return to Blackbushe. While checking his map, the pilot saw an object flash past his 10 to 11 o'clock position, followed by a loud 'thump' and the aircraft shuddered. He instantly realised the aircraft had hit a large bird and saw a shape tumbling away. Based on colours seen (brown/white/cream), he thought it was a Buzzard or an immature Gull.
Post-Strike Actions
Initially, the aircraft continued to perform normally, so the pilot continued the flight. However, after a few minutes, as the aircraft entered an orbit, the airspeed indicator reading reduced to zero. Realising the impact was more severe than first thought and that the pitot head had likely been damaged, the pilot returned to Blackbushe. After executing a low approach and go-around to allow tower personnel to check for further damage, he made a full flap approach and normal landing.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had a total of 409 flying hours, of which 300 were on type. In the previous 90 days he had flown 4 hours, and in the previous 28 days only 2 hours.