Narrative:

After breaking out of an ILS to runway 23 at mmu, about 100 ft above the 200 ft minimums, we touched down on the slushy runway with a legal tailwind of 10 KTS. It was just before dusk with light rain falling. The reported braking action had just been reported as fair by the previous landing aircraft. As soon as I touched down, I deployed the speed brakes and spoilers, then the thrust reversers. At this point, my copilot said there were 2 deer off to our left side running real fast, right at us. I briefly glanced over and saw them approaching us in a single file position. Due to some weird winds on final, the contaminated runway, and the drizzle on my windscreen, I had to take my eyes away from the deer, and concentrate on keeping the airplane on the runway. I couldn't apply maximum braking because the airplane didn't feel like it would safely handle it and maintain directional control. At this point in time, we were going about 110-120 KTS. All I could do now was steer straight ahead and brace for the possible impact. The first deer (a DOE) passed from left to right about 20 yards in front of us. The second deer (a DOE) was on a definite collision (left to right also) course. She hit us on the left side of the aircraft, aft of the cockpit right in the airstair door. She was deflected down and underneath the belly of the aircraft and exited aftward between the landing gear, killing the animal. She damaged the door, most inner part of the wing root, and dented some belly skin. We maintained directional control, and stopped without any other problem. There were no injuries to either crew member or our single passenger. The copilot radioed tower that we had a deer hit us. They closed the runway and removed the deer. The only way to avoid this situation was to: a) not land at this airport, B) not land on a contaminated runway so you could apply more aggressive braking or C) shoot the NDB to runway 5, which was not an option due to the low ceiling, and D) shoot the deer. This airport is not completely fenced in. We are the 5TH aircraft to strike a deer in the last 4 yrs. Fencing is a must do item. As a side note, this airport really needs a VASI on runway 5. I have flown about 200 operations out of this airport within the last 2 yrs. Always keep your eyes scanning for potential problems such as this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CITATION VI IS HIT BY A DEER DURING THE LNDG ROLLOUT AT MMU, NJ.

Narrative: AFTER BREAKING OUT OF AN ILS TO RWY 23 AT MMU, ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE 200 FT MINIMUMS, WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SLUSHY RWY WITH A LEGAL TAILWIND OF 10 KTS. IT WAS JUST BEFORE DUSK WITH LIGHT RAIN FALLING. THE RPTED BRAKING ACTION HAD JUST BEEN RPTED AS FAIR BY THE PREVIOUS LNDG ACFT. AS SOON AS I TOUCHED DOWN, I DEPLOYED THE SPD BRAKES AND SPOILERS, THEN THE THRUST REVERSERS. AT THIS POINT, MY COPLT SAID THERE WERE 2 DEER OFF TO OUR L SIDE RUNNING REAL FAST, RIGHT AT US. I BRIEFLY GLANCED OVER AND SAW THEM APCHING US IN A SINGLE FILE POS. DUE TO SOME WEIRD WINDS ON FINAL, THE CONTAMINATED RWY, AND THE DRIZZLE ON MY WINDSCREEN, I HAD TO TAKE MY EYES AWAY FROM THE DEER, AND CONCENTRATE ON KEEPING THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY. I COULDN'T APPLY MAX BRAKING BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WOULD SAFELY HANDLE IT AND MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE WERE GOING ABOUT 110-120 KTS. ALL I COULD DO NOW WAS STEER STRAIGHT AHEAD AND BRACE FOR THE POSSIBLE IMPACT. THE FIRST DEER (A DOE) PASSED FROM L TO R ABOUT 20 YARDS IN FRONT OF US. THE SECOND DEER (A DOE) WAS ON A DEFINITE COLLISION (L TO R ALSO) COURSE. SHE HIT US ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT, AFT OF THE COCKPIT RIGHT IN THE AIRSTAIR DOOR. SHE WAS DEFLECTED DOWN AND UNDERNEATH THE BELLY OF THE ACFT AND EXITED AFTWARD BTWN THE LNDG GEAR, KILLING THE ANIMAL. SHE DAMAGED THE DOOR, MOST INNER PART OF THE WING ROOT, AND DENTED SOME BELLY SKIN. WE MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL, AND STOPPED WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROB. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER CREW MEMBER OR OUR SINGLE PAX. THE COPLT RADIOED TWR THAT WE HAD A DEER HIT US. THEY CLOSED THE RWY AND REMOVED THE DEER. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS SIT WAS TO: A) NOT LAND AT THIS ARPT, B) NOT LAND ON A CONTAMINATED RWY SO YOU COULD APPLY MORE AGGRESSIVE BRAKING OR C) SHOOT THE NDB TO RWY 5, WHICH WAS NOT AN OPTION DUE TO THE LOW CEILING, AND D) SHOOT THE DEER. THIS ARPT IS NOT COMPLETELY FENCED IN. WE ARE THE 5TH ACFT TO STRIKE A DEER IN THE LAST 4 YRS. FENCING IS A MUST DO ITEM. AS A SIDE NOTE, THIS ARPT REALLY NEEDS A VASI ON RWY 5. I HAVE FLOWN ABOUT 200 OPS OUT OF THIS ARPT WITHIN THE LAST 2 YRS. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES SCANNING FOR POTENTIAL PROBS SUCH AS THIS ONE.

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.