Piper PA-28-140 accident near Pittsfield, Illinois, September 1, 2025
On September 1, 2025 at about 1:15 am local time, a 1968 Piper PA-28-140, registered N5714F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Pittsfield, Illinois (Pittsfield Penstone Municipal). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collision with a deer during the aborted landing in night visual meteorological conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2025 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Pittsfield, Illinois · Pittsfield Penstone Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1968 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5714F · registry record · serial 28-24928
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the pilot-receiving-instruction were conducting a night landing in visual meteorological conditions when upon touchdown a deer ran across the runway ahead of the airplane. They aborted the landing due to insufficient distance to slow the airplane and avoid the deer. Shortly after liftoff, a second deer attempted to cross the runway and struck the front left side of the airplane. Without sufficient runway remaining to land, the flight instructor continued with the takeoff, entered the traffic pattern, and made an uneventful landing. The flight instructor did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The airplane’s left wing sustained substantial damage where it struck the deer. The publicly owned airport does not have wildlife fencing installed to exclude deer and other mammals, nor is it required to. The FAA Airport/Facility Directory does include a remark for deer and migratory waterfowl on and in the vicinity of the airport. According to FAA CertAlert No. 16-03, Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing, the installation of a 10-foot-high fence with 3-strand barbed wire outriggers is the best way of keeping deer out of aircraft movement areas.
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 (flare/touchdown)
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 989 hours in all; 279.6 in this make and model; 165.1 in the last 90 days; 74.1 in the last 30 days; 846 as pilot in command; 493 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 28, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149 hours in all; 83.2 in this make and model; 39.8 in the last 90 days; 9.5 in the last 30 days; 100.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 25, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,483.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 13, 2025; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Piston Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 Saint Louis MO
- Destination: PPQ Pittsfield IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from KPPQ
Weather report (METAR): KPPQ 010115Z AUTO 05004KT 10SM CLR 20/14 A3020 RMK AO2 T02030141
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 15, 2026. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Airport Manager) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Airport Facility Directory (Ppq) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Certalert No 16-03 (Recommended Wildlife Exclusion Fencing) | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.