Narrative:

I was acting in my CFI capacity completing the chkout of a commercial candidate student of mine in an small aircraft. He was already competent in the aircraft in my opinion, but we needed 1/4 hours more to meet the FBO's insurance requirements in make and model. I was also using the opportunity to complete the student's biennial flight review. We departed isp for east hampton airport for some VOR tracking and night takeoff and lndgs. It was dark at takeoff and visibility was above 8 mi and the ceiling was above 10000 ft. Surface winds were westerly at approximately 10 KTS. At my direction, we entered a left downwind for runway 28 at hto and flew a normal traffic pattern. Both landing and taxiing lights were on for the entire landing phase. The student accomplished a satisfactory landing touching down on the numbers of runway 28 and we were decelerating when 3 deer were suddenly observed walking from right to left across the runway. I quickly determined that there was insufficient runway space and airspeed to safely apply full power and takeoff over the deer, so I fully retarded the power, braked as much as possible without losing control and turned to the right. This action resulted in our missing 2 of the deer and apparently clipping only the end of the last of the 3. I taxied up to the FBO (closed at night) to examine the aircraft in the flood lights that were on. A thorough walk around showed only a slight dent in the lower left engine cowling and a little blood on the outer 1/5 inches on one propeller blade. I ran the aircraft up twice and exercised the governor fully and reexamined the aircraft. There were no propeller nicks, looseness or oil leaks, nor was there any unusual engine vibration. The cowl flaps were also fully operational in the ground check. I was satisfied that the aircraft was airworthy for the short trip back to islip, so I telephoned our FBO and notified them of the situation and that we would be returning. However, I was greatly concerned about the deer carcass laying on the runway and the possibility of another aircraft coming in on 28 and having an incident. As the airport was deserted, I called flight service on a public phone and notified them to see if a NOTAM could be issued or if they could help. They were very helpful and contacted the local police to remove the carcass. I also said I would call them to file an incident report when I arrived back at islip. We then took off without incident and the aircraft performed in a satisfactory manner on the return flight with no unusual flight or engine characteristics noticed. New york approach on 132.25 advised that the police were already removing the deer so I was relieved that the runway was no longer a potential threat to other aircraft. Upon arriving back at the FBO at islip, I contacted the flight service watch officer and filed a preliminary incident report. The next day, the inspector from our local FSDO contacted me for additional information. I believe I acted quickly and prudently to make a potentially life threatening situation much less so, with relatively minor damage to the aircraft and none at all to the occupants. I also believe that I exercised my best judgement in determining that the aircraft did not sustain any damage that would make it unsafe or unairworthy for the return flight to islip. I even left the gear down during the flight to eliminate one additional potential problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ISTR WITH STUDENT HIT DEER ON RWY AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING IN MY CFI CAPACITY COMPLETING THE CHKOUT OF A COMMERCIAL CANDIDATE STUDENT OF MINE IN AN SMA. HE WAS ALREADY COMPETENT IN THE ACFT IN MY OPINION, BUT WE NEEDED 1/4 HRS MORE TO MEET THE FBO'S INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS IN MAKE AND MODEL. I WAS ALSO USING THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE THE STUDENT'S BIENNIAL FLT REVIEW. WE DEPARTED ISP FOR E HAMPTON ARPT FOR SOME VOR TRACKING AND NIGHT TKOF AND LNDGS. IT WAS DARK AT TKOF AND VISIBILITY WAS ABOVE 8 MI AND THE CEILING WAS ABOVE 10000 FT. SURFACE WINDS WERE WESTERLY AT APPROX 10 KTS. AT MY DIRECTION, WE ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 28 AT HTO AND FLEW A NORMAL TFC PATTERN. BOTH LNDG AND TAXIING LIGHTS WERE ON FOR THE ENTIRE LNDG PHASE. THE STUDENT ACCOMPLISHED A SATISFACTORY LNDG TOUCHING DOWN ON THE NUMBERS OF RWY 28 AND WE WERE DECELERATING WHEN 3 DEER WERE SUDDENLY OBSERVED WALKING FROM R TO L ACROSS THE RWY. I QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT RWY SPACE AND AIRSPD TO SAFELY APPLY FULL PWR AND TKOF OVER THE DEER, SO I FULLY RETARDED THE PWR, BRAKED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT LOSING CTL AND TURNED TO THE R. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN OUR MISSING 2 OF THE DEER AND APPARENTLY CLIPPING ONLY THE END OF THE LAST OF THE 3. I TAXIED UP TO THE FBO (CLOSED AT NIGHT) TO EXAMINE THE ACFT IN THE FLOOD LIGHTS THAT WERE ON. A THOROUGH WALK AROUND SHOWED ONLY A SLIGHT DENT IN THE LOWER L ENG COWLING AND A LITTLE BLOOD ON THE OUTER 1/5 INCHES ON ONE PROP BLADE. I RAN THE ACFT UP TWICE AND EXERCISED THE GOVERNOR FULLY AND REEXAMINED THE ACFT. THERE WERE NO PROP NICKS, LOOSENESS OR OIL LEAKS, NOR WAS THERE ANY UNUSUAL ENG VIBRATION. THE COWL FLAPS WERE ALSO FULLY OPERATIONAL IN THE GND CHK. I WAS SATISFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY FOR THE SHORT TRIP BACK TO ISLIP, SO I TELEPHONED OUR FBO AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING. HOWEVER, I WAS GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEER CARCASS LAYING ON THE RWY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER ACFT COMING IN ON 28 AND HAVING AN INCIDENT. AS THE ARPT WAS DESERTED, I CALLED FLT SVC ON A PUBLIC PHONE AND NOTIFIED THEM TO SEE IF A NOTAM COULD BE ISSUED OR IF THEY COULD HELP. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL AND CONTACTED THE LCL POLICE TO REMOVE THE CARCASS. I ALSO SAID I WOULD CALL THEM TO FILE AN INCIDENT RPT WHEN I ARRIVED BACK AT ISLIP. WE THEN TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE ACFT PERFORMED IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER ON THE RETURN FLT WITH NO UNUSUAL FLT OR ENG CHARACTERISTICS NOTICED. NEW YORK APCH ON 132.25 ADVISED THAT THE POLICE WERE ALREADY REMOVING THE DEER SO I WAS RELIEVED THAT THE RWY WAS NO LONGER A POTENTIAL THREAT TO OTHER ACFT. UPON ARRIVING BACK AT THE FBO AT ISLIP, I CONTACTED THE FLT SVC WATCH OFFICER AND FILED A PRELIMINARY INCIDENT RPT. THE NEXT DAY, THE INSPECTOR FROM OUR LCL FSDO CONTACTED ME FOR ADDITIONAL INFO. I BELIEVE I ACTED QUICKLY AND PRUDENTLY TO MAKE A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION MUCH LESS SO, WITH RELATIVELY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NONE AT ALL TO THE OCCUPANTS. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT I EXERCISED MY BEST JUDGEMENT IN DETERMINING THAT THE ACFT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY DAMAGE THAT WOULD MAKE IT UNSAFE OR UNAIRWORTHY FOR THE RETURN FLT TO ISLIP. I EVEN LEFT THE GEAR DOWN DURING THE FLT TO ELIMINATE ONE ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL PROBLEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.