Beech C-99 incident near Show Low, Arizona, November 4, 2009
On November 4, 2009 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Beech C-99, registered N330AV, suffered minor damage in an incident during enroute (descent) near Show Low, Arizona (Show Low Regional Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight collision with a bird during initial descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2009 · about 2:50 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Show Low, Arizona · Show Low Regional Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-99 · all C-99s on the register
- Registration
- N330AV · registry record · serial U-230
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after the pilot began the descent to land, about 11,000 feet mean sea level, a bird struck the upper portion of the left pilot’s side windshield, resulting in minor damage to the airplane. The bird made an approximately 11-inch by 8-inch hole, sending bird and glass fragments into the cockpit area. The glass remaining in the windshield was shattered and almost opaque. The pilot continued the descent and landed the airplane uneventfully. Remains from the bird were sent to the Smithsonian Institute and identified as Western Grebe; the average weight of this species is 3.3 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 enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,760 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 31, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 22,205 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 23, 2009; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ameriflight, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 2:15 pm
- Destination: SOW Show Low AZ
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from SOW, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 13, 2011. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Letter from Smithsonian - Bird Identification | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N330AV on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Beechcraft C-99 54 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Beechcraft 6 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Show Low Regional · nearest airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,983 since 1982 · 466 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,415 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR10IA045.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.