N345JE

On June 19, 1997, approximately 1930 mountain daylight time, a Ross/Stonecipher Vans RV-6 experimental-category aircraft was substantially damaged in a forced landing near Woods Cross, Utah, following a bird strike during a go-around from runway 34 at Bountiful Skypark, Bountiful, Utah. The commercial pilot, who owned the aircraft and was its sole occupant, received minor injuries in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the 14 CFR 91 flight, which was a local flight out of Bountiful Skypark.

The pilot reported that he initiated a go-around at about 100 feet above ground level (AGL). About one-third of the way down the runway, the aircraft struck a bird on the left side of the aircraft's canopy. The bird penetrated the canopy, striking the right side of the pilot's face. The pilot stated that he throttled back immediately, and that the rest of the canopy then broke loose. The pilot reported that at this point, blood from the bird and from him was "all over" his glasses. He stated that he cleared his vision, and decided a landing could not be accomplished on the runway at that point without an overrun (he stated that there are fences and deep ditches at the departure end of runway 34.) He added power for a go-around, but then felt increased vibration and thought he may have hit the bird first with the aircraft's propeller. He stated that he then selected a hay field ahead of the aircraft for a landing. He stated that the landing was successful "until the right wheel caught the wheel pant" and flipped the airplane over (a Davis County, Utah, sheriff's official who responded to the accident scene also reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the crop in the landing field was about 2 feet high.)