Piper PA 28-181 accident near Burwell, Nebraska, November 18, 2013
On November 18, 2013 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA 28-181, registered N30260, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Burwell, Nebraska (Cram Field). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent collision with a deer during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2013 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Burwell, Nebraska · Cram Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-181 181, built 1978 · all PA 28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N30260 · registry record · serial 28-7890452
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the flare for landing, a deer ran towards the airplane from his left side. He tried to raise the left wing to clear the deer. The left main landing gear hit the deer and the gear separated from the wing. The airplane subsequently skidded to a stop. The spar that the landing gear separated from 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 landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 6 in the last 30 days; 69 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BBW Broken Bow NE at 5:45 pm
- Destination: BUB Burwell NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 3,900 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KODX, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.