Narrative:

While on a training flight to a now controled airport, the student had made the third landing at the airport. During the rollout after landing just before retracting flaps for the takeoff 3 or 4 small deer ran out of the brush just below a small hill running toward the airplane. 3 deer ran behind but a 4TH ran from behind the wingtip where I first noticed them into the plane. The deer impacted the airplane at the right leading edge at the fuel tank. After parking the airplane on the ramp and calling the unicom operator to get the deer off the runway (it got up and ran off before he could get to it) I inspected the airplane, the only damage done was a crease in the leading edge approximately 1-1 1/2 inches deep. Also the flap skins were bent where the deer struck the extensed flaps. After making a low pass on the runway (I was flying) I decided the airplane was airworthy and flew back to our home airport. There was no change in landing characteristics at all and an uneventful flight was made. After considering the event, I realized that a mechanic should have made the determination if the airplane could have been flown home. Being at an airport with no mechanic to check the airplane it would have been inconvenient to call the FBO, have a mechanic flown or driven down, but there was no way for me to check (or have the skills required to check) for any structural damage to the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LNDG ROLLOUT DEER RAN ONTO RWY AND STRUCK ACFT AT R LEADING EDGE. INSTRUCTOR PLT EXAMINED DAMAGE AND DECIDED TO FLY ACFT BACK TO HOME BASE.

Narrative: WHILE ON A TRAINING FLT TO A NOW CTLED ARPT, THE STUDENT HAD MADE THE THIRD LNDG AT THE ARPT. DURING THE ROLLOUT AFTER LNDG JUST BEFORE RETRACTING FLAPS FOR THE TKOF 3 OR 4 SMALL DEER RAN OUT OF THE BRUSH JUST BELOW A SMALL HILL RUNNING TOWARD THE AIRPLANE. 3 DEER RAN BEHIND BUT A 4TH RAN FROM BEHIND THE WINGTIP WHERE I FIRST NOTICED THEM INTO THE PLANE. THE DEER IMPACTED THE AIRPLANE AT THE R LEADING EDGE AT THE FUEL TANK. AFTER PARKING THE AIRPLANE ON THE RAMP AND CALLING THE UNICOM OPERATOR TO GET THE DEER OFF THE RWY (IT GOT UP AND RAN OFF BEFORE HE COULD GET TO IT) I INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE, THE ONLY DAMAGE DONE WAS A CREASE IN THE LEADING EDGE APPROX 1-1 1/2 INCHES DEEP. ALSO THE FLAP SKINS WERE BENT WHERE THE DEER STRUCK THE EXTENSED FLAPS. AFTER MAKING A LOW PASS ON THE RWY (I WAS FLYING) I DECIDED THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY AND FLEW BACK TO OUR HOME ARPT. THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN LNDG CHARACTERISTICS AT ALL AND AN UNEVENTFUL FLT WAS MADE. AFTER CONSIDERING THE EVENT, I REALIZED THAT A MECH SHOULD HAVE MADE THE DETERMINATION IF THE AIRPLANE COULD HAVE BEEN FLOWN HOME. BEING AT AN ARPT WITH NO MECH TO CHK THE AIRPLANE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN INCONVENIENT TO CALL THE FBO, HAVE A MECH FLOWN OR DRIVEN DOWN, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO CHK (OR HAVE THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO CHK) FOR ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE.

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.