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November 17, 2012 · Cessna 550 · N6763L

Greenwood, SC

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
November 17, 2012
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Greenwood, SC
Aircraft
Cessna 550 (1991)
Tail Number
N6763L
Operator
Stevens Aviation
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA13LA061

About 5 seconds into the landing rollout, a deer appeared from the wood line and ran into the path of the airplane. The deer struck the airplane at the leading edge of the left wing above the left main landing gear, and ruptured an adjacent fuel cell. The pilot was able to maintain directional control, and the airplane was stopped on the runway, spilling fuel and on fire. The crew performed an emergency shutdown of the airplane and egressed without injury. The airplane was consumed by the postcrash fire.

NTSB Probable Cause

Collision with a deer during the landing roll, which resulted in a compromised fuel tank and a postimpact fire.

Full Narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 17, 2012, about 1145 eastern standard time, a Cessna 550, N6763L, registered to the United States Customs Service, and operated by Stevens Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged during collision with a deer after landing on Runway 9 at Greenwood County Airport (GRD), Greenwood, South Carolina. The airplane was subsequently consumed by postcrash fire. The two certificated airline transport pilots were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the maintenance test flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to conduct a test of the autopilot and flight director systems on board the airplane, following a "cockpit modernization" their company had performed. The airplane completed the NDB/GPS RWY 27 instrument approach procedure and then circled to land on Runway 9. About 5 seconds into the landing rollout, a deer appeared from the wood line and ran into the path of the airplane. The deer struck the airplane at the leading edge of the left wing above the left main landing gear, and ruptured an adjacent fuel cell. The pilot was able to maintain directional control, and the airplane was stopped on the runway, spilling fuel and on fire. The crew performed an emergency shutdown of the airplane and egressed without injury.Greenwood County Airport did not have a fire station co-located on the airport facility. The fixed base operator called 911 at the time of the accident, and the fire trucks arrived approximately 10 minutes after notification. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent Federal AviationAdministartion (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued on March 12, 2012. The pilot reported 11,592 total hours of flight experience, of which 903 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The copilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 11, 2012. The pilot reported 4,501 total hours of flight experience, of which 13 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane was manufactured in 1991, and its most recent Approved Aircraft Inspection Program (AAIP) inspection was completed November 16, 2012, at 8,611 total aircraft hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1156, the weather reported at GRD included clear skies, 10 miles of visibility, and winds from 030 degrees at 10 knots. The temperature was 13 degrees C and the dew point was -3 degrees C. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe airplane was manufactured in 1991, and its most recent Approved Aircraft Inspection Program (AAIP) inspection was completed November 16, 2012, at 8,611 total aircraft hours. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONFollowing the accident, the crew provided photographs of the intact airplane spilling fuel and on fire, the fire-consumed airplane wreckage after the fire was extinguished, and the remains of the deer. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONIn a telephone interview, the manager of the Greenwood County Airport explained that Greenwood was not an FAR Part 139 Airport, and while there was no published Wildlife Management Program for the airport, she had been very proactive about eradicating wildlife that could pose a hazard to safety on the airport property, primarily deer and wild turkey. She contacted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for guidance and advice and she attended a wildlife management course. Among the suggestions offered by the USDA, was to remove the deer habitat. The manager proposed adding the area between the runway and taxiway to an approach clearing project in order to reduce the habitat. The manager worked with a local charity and local hunters with depredation permits to take deer on the airport property, and their efforts averaged 50 deer a year. The hunts were conducted in stands away from runways and on property not aviation related. The nearest deer stand was 1 mile from the runway, and the hunters fired only shotguns. The hunts were conducted between the hours of 0700 and 1000. On the morning of the accident, the last shot was fired at 0930.When asked why the hunters were still on the property at the time of the accident, the manager said they had stayed to eat lunch, and repeated that the hunt was long over and that the last shot was fired hours before the accident. She offered that the deer struck by the airplane was probably flushed from the woods by another deer or a coyote, whose population has also grown in recent years.After the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration contacted the state and had the Greenwood County Airport added to a list of airports where funding for improvements had been allotted. A second 10-foot perimeter fence was added around the existing 6-foot fence, and since its construction only 4 deer have been taken inside the perimeter, and no wild turkeys have been sighted.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time11:45 EST
Nearest AirportGreenwood County (1nm)
Runway09
Runway Length5003 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledVFR
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 550
Tail NumberN6763L
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorStevens Aviation
Operating RulePart 91
Engines2
Engine TypeTurbofan
Engine DetailsP&W Canada · JT15D-4 · Turbofan · 2500 | P&W Canada · JT15D-4 · Turbofan · 2500
Seats8

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 49 · First Class · None
Crew 2Age 48 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind30° @ 10 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55 / 27 C
Altimeter30.43 inHg
Observation Time16:56
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data