Narrative:

All weight, runway requirements, climb gradients checked and complied with. Instrument takeoff in patchy ground fog. No problem seeing centerline (unlit) and several runway lights on each side. Just prior to V1 we entered an area which was relatively fog free. 4 deer appeared, 3 running to cross the runway. First officer's eyes were inside and he did not see them. He was in the process of calling V1, rotate (same speed on this takeoff) when I pulled (rotated) hard to try to get off the ground to clear the deer. (There was no way I could have stopped without totaling the aircraft. It's a low to the ground, low wing aircraft with tip tanks and small landing gear. If I would have stood on the brakes the deer, 1-4 of them, probably would have come through the windshield. They at least would have bent the wings, tips, etc.) the deer (1) was struck with the right main landing gear. It broke the squat switch wiring harness and its bracket off. Broke a LORAN antenna off of the aft lower fuselage and did some skin damage to the dorsal fin. We flew +/- 1 1/2 hours locally with the gear down (we never retracted it due to possible damage) to get down to landing weight. Airport went zero-zero while we were doing this but came up and we landed uneventfully after a contact approach. We also replaced a tire which was cut during the deer strike. Aircraft fully repaired except for paint in less than 4 days. The local FSDO has talked to me (I called them first!) and has assured me that this will be listed as an occurrence -- not an incident or accident. I feel confident that the course of action we took was the only viable one, that we broke no FARS, and that this report will not be needed to 'protect' me, but you never know. The first officer assigned to the flight, the local tower approach controllers and airport security and fire fighting all did an excellent job and have been commended.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LR25 HITS A DEER ON THE RWY DURING IMC AT PHF, VA. ACFT DAMAGED BUT FLYABLE.

Narrative: ALL WT, RWY REQUIREMENTS, CLB GRADIENTS CHKED AND COMPLIED WITH. INST TKOF IN PATCHY GND FOG. NO PROB SEEING CTRLINE (UNLIT) AND SEVERAL RWY LIGHTS ON EACH SIDE. JUST PRIOR TO V1 WE ENTERED AN AREA WHICH WAS RELATIVELY FOG FREE. 4 DEER APPEARED, 3 RUNNING TO CROSS THE RWY. FO'S EYES WERE INSIDE AND HE DID NOT SEE THEM. HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CALLING V1, ROTATE (SAME SPD ON THIS TKOF) WHEN I PULLED (ROTATED) HARD TO TRY TO GET OFF THE GND TO CLR THE DEER. (THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE STOPPED WITHOUT TOTALING THE ACFT. IT'S A LOW TO THE GND, LOW WING ACFT WITH TIP TANKS AND SMALL LNDG GEAR. IF I WOULD HAVE STOOD ON THE BRAKES THE DEER, 1-4 OF THEM, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE COME THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THEY AT LEAST WOULD HAVE BENT THE WINGS, TIPS, ETC.) THE DEER (1) WAS STRUCK WITH THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR. IT BROKE THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRING HARNESS AND ITS BRACKET OFF. BROKE A LORAN ANTENNA OFF OF THE AFT LOWER FUSELAGE AND DID SOME SKIN DAMAGE TO THE DORSAL FIN. WE FLEW +/- 1 1/2 HRS LOCALLY WITH THE GEAR DOWN (WE NEVER RETRACTED IT DUE TO POSSIBLE DAMAGE) TO GET DOWN TO LNDG WT. ARPT WENT ZERO-ZERO WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS BUT CAME UP AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AFTER A CONTACT APCH. WE ALSO REPLACED A TIRE WHICH WAS CUT DURING THE DEER STRIKE. ACFT FULLY REPAIRED EXCEPT FOR PAINT IN LESS THAN 4 DAYS. THE LCL FSDO HAS TALKED TO ME (I CALLED THEM FIRST!) AND HAS ASSURED ME THAT THIS WILL BE LISTED AS AN OCCURRENCE -- NOT AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE COURSE OF ACTION WE TOOK WAS THE ONLY VIABLE ONE, THAT WE BROKE NO FARS, AND THAT THIS RPT WILL NOT BE NEEDED TO 'PROTECT' ME, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. THE FO ASSIGNED TO THE FLT, THE LCL TWR APCH CTLRS AND ARPT SECURITY AND FIRE FIGHTING ALL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND HAVE BEEN COMMENDED.

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.