According to the NTSB analysis the pilot of the multiengine retractable landing gear airplane reported that during takeoff, two deer ran onto the runway as the airplane became airborne and that he heard and felt one of the deer hit the left main landing gear. He further reported that he diverted to an airport with an operating control tower, where he performed two passes in front of the tower, and was informed by tower personnel that it "appeared" that the left main landing gear was no longer "attached to the airplane." The pilot reported that he decided the best course of action was to land with the landing gear retracted, and on short final he moved the mixture controls to idle cut off, feathered the propellers, and turned both fuel selectors off. The airplane landed gear up and all persons on board evacuated immediately.
How often do airplanes hit deer? It is not too often airplanes hit a …show more content…
The pilot executed an amazing job by continuing taking off and afterwards heading to an airport where help could be provided to remediate situation. It’s not to blame the pilot of the emergency, and I believe there was nothing he could about the animal striking the aircraft except for putting safety first and being a good decision maker.
How is this issue being addressed? In the same article Dear prove dangerous to airports and pilots (www. pbs.org) a co-author Richard Dolbeer said that, “[…] many larger airports have built tall fences topped with barbed wire, mostly as a security measure but also to keep deer and other wildlife out. Airports also use sharpshooters to eliminate deer that manage to make their way under fences or through cracks.” I firmly believe this should be more implemented in more municipal airports in the U.S, especially those located in rural area for safety