Piper PA-31-310 accident near Victorville, California, March 30, 2006
On March 30, 2006 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N7086Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Victorville, California. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
an in-flight collision with a bird.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2006 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Victorville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N7086Z · registry record · serial 31-7812083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A large bird impacted the left wing of the airplane, resulting in substantial damage. During climb out the pilot encountered a flock of birds, and as he attempted to maneuver around the birds, one collided with the left wing, outboard of the left engine. The pilot returned to his departure airport for a precautionary landing. As he slowed the airplane to land, the left wing became unstable and tried to drop. He continued his approach to the runway at a higher than normal speed and landed uneventfully.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,498 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 5,410 as pilot in command; 3,435 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,753.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 1, 2006; 41.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,740 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VCV Victorville CA
- Destination: KFAT Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.