N55231

On August 2, 2020, about 1017 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N55231, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near San Jose, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot stated that during the approach to Reid-Hillview (RHV) airport, while in the downwind leg for runway 31, the right wing of the airplane impacted an unknown object. Subsequently, the airplane yawed to the right and lost altitude. The pilot notified the tower and immediately executed a precautionary landing to runway 31.

Postaccident examination of the airplane found damage to the right wing’s leading edge, just outboard of the side strut. The leading edge was crushed aft revealing internal surfaces of the wing structure. Feather fragments were later found on the internal surfaces. A large deceased golden eagle and a small hobby drone were found during a search below the downwind leg traffic area. The drone was mostly intact, and the finishes were faded. Search personnel who located the drone stated that it appeared the drone was there for a while.

Sections of the airplane wing were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Materials Laboratory for examination. Surfaces of the wing sections were inspected using an ultraviolet light, which revealed a fluorescing substance found to be a candidate for biological fluids.

The feathers gathered from the deceased golden eagle and the feathers collected from the airplane’s wing were shipped to the Feather Identification Lab at the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History to look for avian contamination and identification. The results were consistent with that of a golden eagle or Aquila Chrysaetos, which were consistent with biological material recovered near the accident location. These results were consistent with those of other specimens sent directly to the Feather Identification Lab from the accident airplane, which were also consistent with an in-flight collision with the recovered golden eagle.