Incident Overview
During an Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach, an aircraft collided with treetops while positioned slightly left of the approach course near the middle marker. The pilot continued the approach and the airplane touched down approximately 1,000 feet beyond the runway threshold. Upon touchdown, the aircraft veered to the right and skidded to a stop between the runway and an adjacent taxiway.
Damage and Examination
A post-incident examination revealed damage to the leading edges of the wings and the right main landing gear, consistent with impact with the trees. Scrape marks on the tread of the right main tire indicated that the tire had skidded at about 90 degrees to its normal plane of rotation, suggesting it was cocked at touchdown.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that she was focusing on chasing the needle deflection of the ILS localizer and glideslope indicators and was not properly monitoring the altimeter when the aircraft struck the trees.
Approach Information
The decision height for the ILS approach was 1,180 feet MSL, and the airport elevation was 980 feet MSL.