N6469W – PIPER PA 28-140 – 2014-02-21 NTSB Accident Report

On February 21, 2014, a Piper PA 28-140 (N6469W) was involved in an incident near Saluda, SC. 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: An inadvertent encounter with a deer during the takeoff roll.

The flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot had completed the first leg of a night cross country flight and were departing back to their home airport. During the takeoff roll, a deer ran onto the runway, colliding with the airplane's right wing. The CFI assumed control of the airplane from the student and continued the takeoff, as inadequate runway distance remained to abort. Once airborne, the CFI did not note any flight control abnormalities, and elected to continue to the destination, where he landed the airplane without incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA14CA172. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6469W.