At about 1145 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during collision with a deer. The airplane, which was registered to the U.S. Customs Service, was consumed by post-crash fire. The two airline transport pilots were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the post-maintenance test flight.
The flight’s purpose was to test the autopilot and flight director systems following a “cockpit modernization.” About five seconds into the landing rollout, a deer appeared from the wood line and ran into the airplane’s path. The deer struck the airplane at the leading edge of the left wing above the left main landing gear and ruptured an adjacent fuel cell. The crew stopped the airplane on the runway, performed an emergency shutdown and egressed without injury.
