2007-09 · NASA ASRS report 755142
A DA50 COLLIDED WITH A DEER; KILLING IT; BUT DOING MINIMAL ACFT DAMAGE.
CREW MADE 4 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT REMOTE SITE GND PERSONNEL VIA LAND-LINE PRIOR TO DEP. THE ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; HENCE; VOICE MESSAGES WERE LEFT ADVISING AN ETA. CREW PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT MISSION AS PLANNED. APPROX 3 MI FROM DEST; CREW ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT REMOTE SITE GND PERSONNEL VIA VHF. REPEATED ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. CREW IS VERY EXPERIENCED IN CONDUCTING OPS TO AND FROM THE REMOTE SITE. SOP IS FOR GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL TO CLR THE RWY ENVIRONMENT OF ANY GAME; THEN PROCEED TO A POINT ADJACENT TO THE RWY TO OBSERVE. CREW ENTERED THE AREA FROM THE S; OVER-FLYING THE RWY TO THE W TO VIEW THE ENVIRONMENT; WINDSOCKS; AND CONDUCT AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE. PF INITIATED A DSNDING 360 DEG TURN TO STARBOARD. CREW OBSERVED A GND SUPPORT VEHICLE ADJACENT TO THE RWY APPROX MIDFIELD; PER SOP. NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF GAME OR OBSTRUCTIONS WERE PRESENT DURING AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE. PF CONDUCTED A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG (ACFT WT: 28000 LBS; TARGET SPD: 122 KTS; VREF: 112 KTS). APPROX 1.5-2.0 SECONDS AFTER TOUCHDOWN; PNF OBSERVED A DEER RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE ACFT COURSE; ENTERING THE RWY ENVIRONMENT FROM THE ACFT'S STARBOARD SIDE. SEVERAL OTHER DEER WERE OBSERVED. HOWEVER; THESE DEER MOVED AWAY FROM THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. THE NOSEWHEEL STRUT OF THE ACFT IMPACTED THE DEER CTR MASS. PF MAINTAINED ACFT CTL; BRINGING THE ACFT TO A NORMAL STOP. ACFT INTEGRITY DID NOT APPEAR TO BE COMPROMISED. ACFT CONTINUED UNDER OWN PWR TO PARKING STAND; WHERE NORMAL SHUTDOWN PROCS WERE COMPLETED. POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED A DAMAGED LNDG LIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR STRUT. RESULTS OF IMPACT WERE OBVIOUS; ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY CLEANED TO FACILITATE A DETAILED POSTFLT INSPECTION. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED VERY SMALL; MINOR DENTS (2) ON THE NOSE GEAR DOOR (PORT AND STARBOARD SIDES) AT LOCATIONS APPROX MID-LENGTH. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS APPARENT. CREW (COMBINED FLYING EXPERIENCE OF APPROX 20000 HRS) CONDUCTED DETAILED; INDIVIDUAL INSPECTIONS; REVEALING NO FURTHER EVIDENCE OF IMPACT OTHER THAN PREVIOUSLY NOTED. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND AIRWORTHINESS WERE NEVER IN QUESTION. ACFT WAS DEEMED SAFE TO OPERATE. HOWEVER; GEAR WAS LEFT DOWN AND LOCKED AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. MAINT TECHNICIANS' PRELIMINARY INSPECTION SUPPORTED CREW'S DECISION TO OPERATE THE ACFT WITH THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. NO FURTHER DAMAGE DISCOVERED; THOUGH A DETAILED INSPECTION IS SCHEDULED AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. POSTFLT RWY INSPECTION CONFIRMED THE DEER (A YOUNG DOE; ESTIMATED AT APPROX 120 LBS) HAD INDEED BEEN STRUCK CTR MASS; BTWN THE SHOULDERS AND HIND QUARTERS; IN THE SOFTEST PART OF THE ANIMAL. THIS WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. THE UPPER TORSO OF THE ANIMAL WAS FOUND APPROX 300 FT FROM POINT OF IMPACT ON THE L EDGE OF THE RWY. THE HIND QUARTERS WERE FOUND INTACT; ALTHOUGH SEPARATELY; APPROX 50 FT FURTHER FROM THE LOCATION OF THE TORSO (ESTIMATED 350 FT FROM POINT OF IMPACT). CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: SOP HAS BEEN AMENDED; REQUIRING POSITIVE COM TO BE ESTABLISHED BTWN CREW AND REMOTE SITE GND PERSONNEL. IN THE EVENT POSITIVE COMS CANNOT BE ESTABLISHED; MISSION WILL EITHER BE DELAYED OR ABORTED UNTIL POSITIVE COMS ARE ESTABLISHED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: REMOTE SITE IS IN A HIGH-DENSITY GAME ENVIRONMENT. RWY PERIMETER FENCING IS APPROX 4.5 FT IN HT. GAME ARE CAPABLE OF PENETRATING THE PERIMETER; RENDING THE PERIMETER FENCE INEFFECTIVE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PERIMETER FENCE WILL BE INCREASED TO A MINIMUM HT OF 12 FT. HUMAN FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS: THERE IS NO TRAINING SYLLABUS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE WHICH ADDRESSES RWY INCURSIONS BY GAME. RECOMMEND IMPLEMENTATION OF OPTIONAL TRAINING SCENARIOS; TO BE CONDUCTED DURING ACFT RECURRENT TRAINING; TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. HAD THE ANIMAL HAD GREATER MASS; THE OUTCOME COULD VERY WELL HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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