Diamond DA 42 N915ER

Summary

On 12 March 2012 at about 22:30 local time, a Diamond DA 42 registered N915ER, operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was involved in an accident near New Smyrna, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 March 2012 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

New Smyrna, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.9786, -80.9250

Aircraft

Diamond DA 42

Registration

N915ER

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Smyrna → Daytona Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA236

Nobody was injured.

An inadvertent encounter with a bird during cruise flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and the student pilot were in cruise flight at 1,600 feet above the ground, preparing to land after an instructional flight, when they noticed three buzzards that were ahead, below, and to the right of their airplane and climbing. The pilots entered a climbing left turn and successfully avoided two of the birds; however, the remaining bird suddenly changed direction and impacted the right wing, resulting in substantial damage to its composite structure. After advising air traffic controllers of the encounter, the pilots landed the airplane uneventfully at a nearby airport.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.