Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A incident near Jasper, Texas, August 14, 2008
On August 14, 2008 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A, registered N688LL, suffered minor damage in an incident during initial climb near Jasper, Texas. It was a business 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
The impact with a bird during initial takeoff climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2008 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Jasper, Texas · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Raytheon Aircraft Company C90A
- Registration
- N688LL · no longer on the register · serial LJ-1451
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During initial takeoff climb at 300 feet above ground level (agl) at 140 knots, the pilot noticed a "buzzard" to the front and slightly above the airplane. The pilot lowered the pitch and right wing; however, the "bird folded his wings and dove toward me." The bird impacted the right wing leading edge. The pilot "conducted a controllability check" and noticed a slight vibration with the right aileron. The pilot continued to his destination (56 nautical miles) because that airport had emergency services. The airplane landed uneventfully. Prior to the flight, the pilot was unaware of any reported bird activity in the area. Examination of the airplane showed minor damage to the right wing leading edge and three wing ribs.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAS Jasper TX
- Destination: BPT Beaumont/Port A TX
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.