American Legend AL3 accident near Greenville, North Carolina, November 16, 2020
On November 16, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2007 American Legend AL3, registered N30BX, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Greenville, North Carolina. 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 airplane’s collision with a bird during initial climb, which resulted in a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Legend AL3, built 2007
- Registration
- N30BX · registry record · serial AL-1095
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he and his friend, who is also a flight instructor, were performing touch-and-go landings at different airports. After his last touch-and-go, and during climb out, he saw some turkey buzzards flying above the airplane. He decided to turn to the right to avoid the birds but one of the buzzards hit the propeller and the airplane started to violently shake. The flight instructor, seated in the rear seat, shut off the engine and took over control of the airplane. The flight instructor then located a field to land in. They landed with a tailwind and during the landing roll, they were getting close to some trees at the end of the field. The pilot was not sure if he depressed the brakes or the flight instructor did, or they both did, but the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted about 40 feet away from the trees, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder and wings.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: November 3, 2018
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot
- Flight time: 3,517 hours in all; 895 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,184.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continenental O-200-A48 (piston); 534 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGV Greenville NC at 7:30 pm
- Destination: DSN Winterville NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KPGV, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPGV 162015Z AUTO 30006KT 10SM CLR 17/M01 A3013 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 24, 2021. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.