Piper PA-32-300 accident near Falls City, Nebraska, January 29, 2002
On January 29, 2002 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N56729, was substantially damaged in an accident near Falls City, Nebraska (Brenner Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The deer striking the airplane during landing. A factor relating to this accident was the dark night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 2002 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Falls City, Nebraska · Brenner Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N56729 · no longer on the register · serial 32-7440022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said they were in the landing flare and the main landing gear had touched down when he heard a loud bang and the airplane swerved right and then left. The pilot regained control of the airplane and taxied to parking. The pilot said that later he went out to the runway and found a 200 pound buck deer laying on the left side of the runway. An examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing. No other anomalies were found.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 516 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 381 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 21, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-550G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AIO Atlantic IA at 2:45 am
- Destination: FNB Falls City NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from FNB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.