N26181Grumman American Avn. AA-5A · 1977

During landing touchdown the pilot noticed two deer to the left of the runway. One deer ran across the runway and was struck by the airplane’s left wing tip. The impact caused the airplane to veer to the left off the runway and onto the grass median. The pilot raised the flaps, applied right brake/rudder and full power in an attempt to go-around. The airplane lifted off momentarily, and then struck a runway light. The pilot abandoned the go-around attempt. The airplane traveled across the runway into an open bean field and stopped. Both wings sustained leading edge damage, the nose gear was sheared off, and the lower engine cowling was crushed. The underside of the fuselage and the right horizontal stabilizer were also substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies with the airplane.