Narrative:

The following occurrence took place at east hampton airport. I landed on runway 28 at east hampton at approximately XA40 local. The field conditions at that time were VFR at dusk. At the time of my landing I did not see any deer on or in the vicinity of the airport. At approximately XB05 I departed the ramp area and taxied for takeoff. At this time it was dark out so I used my landing light to taxi, as well as the pilot controled lighting for maximum visibility. As I taxied to runway 28 I did not observe any deer along my taxi route. After performing my run-up and pre-takeoff check I taxied on to runway 28. I aligned myself with the runway and did not observe any deer on the runway. I applied takeoff power and began accelerating down the runway. At approximately 65 KTS, I crosschecked the engine instruments and airspeed indicator. As the aircraft continued to accelerate I heard a loud bang and my forward visibility was instantly impaired by a dark fluid which covered the windshield. I immediately aborted the takeoff maintaining control of the aircraft. As I slowed the aircraft to a stop, my friend, who was sitting in the front right seat, told me that he had seen what appeared to be a deer run from right to left across the front of the aircraft. Taxiing clear of the active runway for safety, I returned back to the ramp and shut down. After a brief inspection it was clear that the aircraft had struck a deer. The aircraft had no airframe damage, only minor propeller damage. I secured the aircraft for inspection by maintenance personnel. Under the conditions of this incident I was unable to see any deer and therefore unable to avoid the deer. The deer carcass was found on the left side of runway 28. I was informed by airport operations that there was a similar occurrence a week earlier. Operations informed me that they have had several incidents involving deer and they are currently seeking funding for an airport fence. I feel this occurrence could have been avoided if there were an airport fence and the deer population was reduced. This is a dangerous situation which has occurred on several occasions and needs to be resolved prior to a fatality. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter was flying a piper saratoga PA32 during a night takeoff when he struck the deer. The airport management is aware of the deer problem. The pilot said that 3 aircraft have struck deer this yr. The state has provided some money for a fence, but the reporter says that it is not enough to completely fence the airport. The plan to cull the deer herd is not going to be allowed according to the city and environmental groups in the area. The aircraft damage was confined to the propeller. 2 of the 3 blades had to be replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED -- PLT STRUCK A DEER ON TKOF.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE AT EAST HAMPTON ARPT. I LANDED ON RWY 28 AT EAST HAMPTON AT APPROX XA40 LCL. THE FIELD CONDITIONS AT THAT TIME WERE VFR AT DUSK. AT THE TIME OF MY LNDG I DID NOT SEE ANY DEER ON OR IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT. AT APPROX XB05 I DEPARTED THE RAMP AREA AND TAXIED FOR TKOF. AT THIS TIME IT WAS DARK OUT SO I USED MY LNDG LIGHT TO TAXI, AS WELL AS THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING FOR MAX VISIBILITY. AS I TAXIED TO RWY 28 I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY DEER ALONG MY TAXI RTE. AFTER PERFORMING MY RUN-UP AND PRE-TKOF CHK I TAXIED ON TO RWY 28. I ALIGNED MYSELF WITH THE RWY AND DID NOT OBSERVE ANY DEER ON THE RWY. I APPLIED TKOF PWR AND BEGAN ACCELERATING DOWN THE RWY. AT APPROX 65 KTS, I XCHKED THE ENG INSTS AND AIRSPD INDICATOR. AS THE ACFT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND MY FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS INSTANTLY IMPAIRED BY A DARK FLUID WHICH COVERED THE WINDSHIELD. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT. AS I SLOWED THE ACFT TO A STOP, MY FRIEND, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT R SEAT, TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SEEN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DEER RUN FROM R TO L ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. TAXIING CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY FOR SAFETY, I RETURNED BACK TO THE RAMP AND SHUT DOWN. AFTER A BRIEF INSPECTION IT WAS CLR THAT THE ACFT HAD STRUCK A DEER. THE ACFT HAD NO AIRFRAME DAMAGE, ONLY MINOR PROP DAMAGE. I SECURED THE ACFT FOR INSPECTION BY MAINT PERSONNEL. UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THIS INCIDENT I WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY DEER AND THEREFORE UNABLE TO AVOID THE DEER. THE DEER CARCASS WAS FOUND ON THE L SIDE OF RWY 28. I WAS INFORMED BY ARPT OPS THAT THERE WAS A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE A WK EARLIER. OPS INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS INVOLVING DEER AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING FUNDING FOR AN ARPT FENCE. I FEEL THIS OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THERE WERE AN ARPT FENCE AND THE DEER POPULATION WAS REDUCED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SIT WHICH HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO A FATALITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A PIPER SARATOGA PA32 DURING A NIGHT TKOF WHEN HE STRUCK THE DEER. THE ARPT MGMNT IS AWARE OF THE DEER PROB. THE PLT SAID THAT 3 ACFT HAVE STRUCK DEER THIS YR. THE STATE HAS PROVIDED SOME MONEY FOR A FENCE, BUT THE RPTR SAYS THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY FENCE THE ARPT. THE PLAN TO CULL THE DEER HERD IS NOT GOING TO BE ALLOWED ACCORDING TO THE CITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN THE AREA. THE ACFT DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE PROP. 2 OF THE 3 BLADES HAD TO BE REPLACED.

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.