Beech V35B accident near Palm Coast, Florida, October 26, 2013
On October 26, 2013 at about 6:21 pm local time, a 1979 Beech V35B, registered N328HR, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Palm Coast, Florida (Flagler County airport). 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
An inadvertent collision with a black vulture.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2013 · about 6:21 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Coast, Florida · Flagler County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B, built 1979 · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N328HR · registry record · serial D-10269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane was at 1,000 feet, airspeed about 100 knots, and he was following tower instructions to enter a right downwind for the runway. Approaching the downwind leg, he saw a large black bird and commented to his passengers that they had to keep an eye on it in case they needed to maneuver. The pilot continued toward the airport, looking for traffic and birds, and within a few seconds the airplane was very close to the bird. The pilot descended the airplane to where he thought it would pass overhead, but the bird then dove at the last second and the pilot heard a "thud" on the cabin roof. There were no other indications of impact, and the pilot continued a "normal" right base, a right turn to final, and landing. Once back at his hangar, the pilot noticed the substantial damage to the left ruddervator. A feather retrieved from the ruddervator impact site was examined "whole feather" and microscopically, and was determined to be from a black vulture (coragyps atratus) with an average weight about 4.7 pounds.
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
- Birdstrike during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,202 hours in all; 160 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520BB (piston); 1,431 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: XFL Palm Coast FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: XFL Palm Coast FL
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from DAB, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.