N7221Q – Cessna 172L – 2007-09-13 NTSB Accident Report

On September 13, 2007, a Cessna 172L (N7221Q) was involved in an incident near Helena, MT. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: Unexpected collision with birds on short final that damaged the airplane wing structure.

According to the pilot, as he was about 50 feet above ground level on short final over the threshold, the right wing leading edge of the airplane struck several birds. There were no significant changes in how the flight controls felt on subsequent inputs, and the airplane landed without further incident. The pilot stated that the flight departed the airport about 10 minutes prior to the collision, and they were conducting touch-and-go takeoffs and landings in moderate crosswind conditions. He stated that there were no NOTAM's in place warning of birds in the immediate area of the airport, and he did not have time to maneuver away from the birds.

This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX07CA279. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7221Q.