Piper PA-31-350 accident near Casper, Wyoming, June 30, 2011
On June 30, 2011 at about 11:53 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N59798, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Casper, Wyoming (Casper/Natrona County airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2011 · about 11:53 am local time
- Place
- Casper, Wyoming · Casper/Natrona County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N59798 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7652071
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was landing and was approximately 5 to 10 feet from touchdown when a large bird hit and broke the front center windshield of his airplane. With the bird covering his entire windscreen the pilot reacted by quickly moving his body to the right to avoid the bird, which had penetrated the windscreen. Subsequently the airplane's left wing came into contact with the runway surface causing the airplane to nose into the ground, severely damaging the left wing, collapsing the left landing gear, and bending both propellers. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions of failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 23,238 hours in all; 12,100 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 23,238 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,502 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 2011; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 10:42 am
- Destination: KCPR Casper WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 10,165 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 11:48 am from KCPR, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.