Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
An inadvertent in-flight collision with a bird in cruise flight resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On January 1, 2000, at about 1300 eastern standard time, a Cessna 550, N752CC, registered to the U.S. Customs Service, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 positioning flight, experienced a bird strike while in cruise flight in the vicinity of Homestead, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport-rated pilot-in-command (PIC), copilot, and sensor operator reported no injuries. The flight originated from Miami, Florida, about 5 minutes before the accident. The accident was reported to the NTSB on January 5, 2000.
The PIC stated they were in cruise flight at 1,000 feet, 200 knots, and about 5 miles north of Homestead Air Force Base when they experienced an in-flight collision with a big bird. The bird hit the leading edge of the right wing. He notified tower and landed without further incident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA00LA063