Goose strike probable cause of fatal accident

[badger bob]

University officials say plane crashed after hitting geese
By BLAKE NICHOLSON , Associated Press

April 9, 2008

BISMARCK, N.D. - A University of North Dakota airplane that crashed in central Minnesota last fall, killing a student and flight instructor, likely went down after colliding with geese, school officials say.

UND aerospace dean Bruce Smith and Dana Siewert, the Grand Forks school's director of aviation safety, are basing their conclusion on an examination of flight data and the twin-engine Piper Seminole itself.

"In going through all of the things that possibly could happen and eliminating them one by one, and given the evidence that was left on the airplane, this was the only conclusion," Smith said Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating. Tim Sorensen, the NTSB lead investigator in the Seminole crash, confirmed Wednesday that no evidence of mechanical failure has been found but that Canada goose DNA was discovered on the plane's left wing.

Student Adam Ostapenko, 20, of Duluth, Minn., and instructor Annette Klosterman, 22, of Seattle, died when the plane crashed in a swampy area in central Minnesota on Oct. 23, 2007. They were on a routine training flight from St. Paul, Minn., to Grand Forks when the plane went down near Browerville, Minn.

Flight data indicated the plane was flying normally, then went out of control and hit the ground in less than half a minute, UND officials said.

"We know that something catastrophic happened within just a matter of seconds," Siewert said. Combined with the goose DNA, he said, "that leads us to believe that it was a bird strike."

UND is working with the NTSB on the investigation. The NTSB is not expected to release an official probable cause until later this year at the earliest.

NTSB officials were surprised that UND officials had publicly released information, though Sorensen said it would not affect the investigation.

Siewert said UND released the information so other UND students are more aware of the dangers of birds.

"We want to take a look and make sure we're providing pilots additional educational information and strategies to minimize the potential for future bird strikes," he said.

Canada geese are one of the most hazardous species of bird for aircraft because of their large size and flocking behavior, the Federal Aviation Administration says.

FAA figures show 64,734 bird strikes to civil aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2005 — about one strike for every 10,000 flights.

© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

[rightstuffpilot]

As a side note--since this is my school--only 1% of bird crashes hit the tail.  I am greatful that the reasoning behind the crash was not related to our training, but sad for the families of Adam and Annette.

[rightstuffpilot]

BTW, sorry to bump, but I hadn't seen the post before.  We are still waiting on the NTSB report.