A C172 is slightly damaged during a night operation after running off the runway in the pilot's atte...

Attributes
ACN	580575
Time
Date	200304
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5g8.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9.7 flight time total : 270.6 flight time type : 270.6
ASRS Report	580575
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical excursion : runway ground encounters : animal other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor
Situations
Airport	design : 5g8.airport groundskeeping : 5g8.airport other physical facility taxiway surface condition : 5g8.airport
Publication	AF/D

Narrative:

I made a standard entry into the pattern for runway 2 at 5g8. As I crossed the runway 2 threshold for landing and was about to touch down, I noticed the reflective 'shine' from the eyes of an animal, so I applied full power, and went around the pattern. On my second approach on final, I decided to make a low pass to frighten away any animals that might be on the runway. On the third approach, I touched down about 1/3 of the way down the runway, and within 1 or 2 seconds, saw several deer running onto the runway from the right. I swerved to the right thinking I could pass behind the deer, but they stopped. I hit the brakes hard and veered off the runway to the left side and into the grass. I rolled along the grass and hit 2 small ditches in the grass. I was able to taxi the plane to its normal parking area where I inspected for damage. The nose gear fairing and bearing were damaged, and the tail tie down hook was broken from the plane. Contributing factors to this event were darkness and a mild crosswind that caused me to make an approach higher than I would make during the day, and different wind conditions. Since the airport is perched on a bluff, the usual concern is coming in too low and catching a downdraft that might dump you into the hillside. In this instance, I approached at a higher altitude to make the runway and still have time to come to a safe stop. Another contributing factor were the ditches and my lack of awareness as to how close I was to them. Had they not been there, of course, this report would not be needed. But, because of the darkness and my quick evasive action to avoid the deer, I lost track of my location on the grass apron. Corrective actions would be to fill in the ditches, fence the airport, and perform more night approachs that would alleviate the need for the higher approach I used in this instance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 IS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED DURING A NIGHT OP AFTER RUNNING OFF THE RWY IN THE PLT'S ATTEMPT TO AVOID SEVERAL DEER THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD CHASED AWAY ON 2 PREVIOUS LOW PASSES TO RWY 2 AT 5G8, PA.

Narrative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

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.

A C172 is slightly damaged during a night operation after running off the runway in the pilot's attempt to avoid several deer that he thought he had chased away on 2 previous low passes to runway 2 at 5g8, PA.