Cessna 182Q accident near Sparta, Michigan, October 2, 2010
On October 2, 2010 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759BJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Sparta, Michigan (Miller - Sparta Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent collision with a deer during a night takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2010 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Sparta, Michigan · Miller - Sparta Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759BJ · registry record · serial 18265860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after the airplane lifted off the runway surface during the night takeoff, the pilot observed two deer crossing the runway from left to right. He stated that one deer was in front of him and the other was to the left of his path. He pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to avoid the deer at which time he heard a loud "bang." The pilot reported that he missed the deer that he observed and contacted a third deer that he did not see. The pilot continued the flight to his destination where he made an uneventful landing. The injured deer was located at the departure airport. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator sustained substantial damage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 568 hours in all; 143 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 504 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,596 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 2010; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8D4 Sparta MI
- Destination: GRR Grand Rapids MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 25, 4,033 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N759BJ the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11CA025.