Narrative:

On landing rollout, 3 deer crossed the runway from left to right, in front of the aircraft. I applied the hand brake, and the deer cleared in front of me. A 4TH deer was running at high speed and, from my 9 O'clock position, ran directly into the left side of the cowling without touching the wing or the propeller. Damage to the aircraft appeared to be heavy. The deer was killed. I shut the aircraft down on the runway, pulled the aircraft off the runway and onto the ramp, then went back and pulled the deer off the runway. I then called the local police to report the incident and notified the airport authority/authorized. The local FSDO was called the next morning by the airport manager, and I filed an incident report with an inspector. Now comes the problem! I was transporting the airplane to be annually inspected, which I believed to be due at the end of oct/94. I have now been informed by my mechanic that his records indicate that the inspection may have been due in aug/94. (Due to an ongoing divorce process, and 2 recent moves, I have been unable to locate the aircraft logbooks.) I am still in the process of tracking them down. So the annual can be completed -- or the books will need to be recreated. I am in fear, now, that the FAA might possibly take certificate action against me for something that was a non contributing factor, and that if this is the case, there should be some way that a pilot should be able to ascertain prior to flight that the aircraft is within compliance of the annual inspection requirement without the need to reference logbooks that are not required to be kept with the aircraft. There appears to be no requirement that a placard or reference other than an airworthiness certificate be on board or checked before flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEER STRIKE ON LNDG ROLLOUT.

Narrative: ON LNDG ROLLOUT, 3 DEER CROSSED THE RWY FROM L TO R, IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I APPLIED THE HAND BRAKE, AND THE DEER CLRED IN FRONT OF ME. A 4TH DEER WAS RUNNING AT HIGH SPD AND, FROM MY 9 O'CLOCK POS, RAN DIRECTLY INTO THE L SIDE OF THE COWLING WITHOUT TOUCHING THE WING OR THE PROP. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE HVY. THE DEER WAS KILLED. I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN ON THE RWY, PULLED THE ACFT OFF THE RWY AND ONTO THE RAMP, THEN WENT BACK AND PULLED THE DEER OFF THE RWY. I THEN CALLED THE LCL POLICE TO RPT THE INCIDENT AND NOTIFIED THE ARPT AUTH. THE LCL FSDO WAS CALLED THE NEXT MORNING BY THE ARPT MGR, AND I FILED AN INCIDENT RPT WITH AN INSPECTOR. NOW COMES THE PROB! I WAS TRANSPORTING THE AIRPLANE TO BE ANNUALLY INSPECTED, WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE DUE AT THE END OF OCT/94. I HAVE NOW BEEN INFORMED BY MY MECH THAT HIS RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE INSPECTION MAY HAVE BEEN DUE IN AUG/94. (DUE TO AN ONGOING DIVORCE PROCESS, AND 2 RECENT MOVES, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE THE ACFT LOGBOOKS.) I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRACKING THEM DOWN. SO THE ANNUAL CAN BE COMPLETED -- OR THE BOOKS WILL NEED TO BE RECREATED. I AM IN FEAR, NOW, THAT THE FAA MIGHT POSSIBLY TAKE CERTIFICATE ACTION AGAINST ME FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS A NON CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AND THAT IF THIS IS THE CASE, THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY THAT A PLT SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN PRIOR TO FLT THAT THE ACFT IS WITHIN COMPLIANCE OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION REQUIREMENT WITHOUT THE NEED TO REF LOGBOOKS THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE KEPT WITH THE ACFT. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO REQUIREMENT THAT A PLACARD OR REF OTHER THAN AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE BE ON BOARD OR CHKED BEFORE FLT.

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.