Piper PA-28-140 accident near Talladega, Alabama, August 15, 2022
On August 15, 2022 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1972 Piper PA-28-140, registered N1486T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Talladega, Alabama (Talladega Muni airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A collision with a deer during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 2022 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Talladega, Alabama · Talladega Muni · 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 1972 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1486T · registry record · serial 28-7225533
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during the takeoff roll, shortly after the student pilot rotated and lifted off the runway, there was a loud and noticeable impact to the right side of the airplane. The airplane pulled to the right and they elected to land straight ahead. As soon as the airplane touched back down the right wing struck the runway and the airplane skidded to a stop. Neither the flight instructor nor his student observed the deer that the airplane had collided with before the impact. Following the accident, the flight instructor noted that the right main landing gear had separated from the airplane and the deer that the airplane had impacted was near the runway centerline. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed that the airplane’s elevator was substantially damaged during the accident.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,031.6 hours in all; 466.2 in this make and model; 13.3 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 8, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 72 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,273 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 30, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04/2, 6,032 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from ASN
Weather report (METAR): KASN 150235Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 24/21 A2998 RMK AO2 T02400213
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA22LA371.