NTSB Factual Report

On July 3, 2005, about 1245 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207 airplane, N48CF, sustained structural damage as a result of a bird strike while in cruise flight between Bethel, Alaska, and Nightmute, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Grant Aviation, Inc., of Emmonak, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, at the time of the accident. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was in effect.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 6, the operator's director of operations reported that after departing from Bethel, while in level cruise flight at 1,000 feet agl, the pilot noted a large bird heading towards the airplane. The director of operations said that the pilot tried to avoid the collision by turning the airplane to the right, but the bird subsequently struck the left wing of the airplane. A postaccident inspection revealed structural damage to the airplane's left wing spar.

NTSB Probable Cause

An in-flight collision with a bird during cruise flight, which resulted in structural damage to the airplane's wing.