Oh. Deer.

It turns out that South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Bauer wasn't the only state lawmaker involved in a general aviation accident Tuesday night. Just a few hours before a plane piloted Bauer hit some power lines as he was taking off from a dirt strip in South Carolina, a plane piloted by another lawmaker -- Missouri State Representative Jack Jackson -- struck a deer as it taking off.

Jackson and three passengers were departing the Camdenton, MO airport Tuesday night in a Beechcraft B-60 Duke (file photo of type, above) after a campaign event when, out of nowhere, a deer appeared on the runway. The aircraft had almost reached rotation speed when it slammed into the deer, veered into some runway light, and then slid down an embankment.

Jackson's campaign manager, Paul Brown, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the aircraft remained upright the whole time, on its landing gear. Brown, who was on board the aircraft, called Jackson -- a former Marine pilot in Vietnam, and a retired Boeing test pilot -- one of the world's great aviators.

All four on board walked away without a scratch. However, Camden can't count on the deer's vote in his bid to be the Republican nominee for state auditor -- it apparently didn't make it.

**   Report created 5/25/2006   Record 4
********************************

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 51CL        Make/Model: BE60      Description: 60 Duke
  Date: 05/24/2006     Time: 0135

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: CAMDENTON   State: MO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL, STRUCK A DEER AND WENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND
  DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, CAMDENTON, MO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: KAIZ METAR 240135Z AUTO 14003KT 10SM CLR 24/19 A3002

OTHER DATA

  Departed: CAMDENTON, MO               Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: Y
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: KANSAS CITY, MO  (CE05)               Entry date: 05/24/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.jackjohnson.org