N487JK – Piper PA28 – 2018-08-09 NTSB Accident Report

On August 09, 2018, a Piper PA28 (N487JK) was involved in an incident near Merritt Island, FL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering to avoid a bird during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, prior to initiating the landing flare, he saw a "white bird" heading towards the airplane. He applied left rudder to avoid the bird, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He then "[pulled] the yoke back", but the left main landing gear impacted a taxiway sign, and the airplane settled on the adjacent grass.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA479. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N487JK.