Incident Summary
An airplane struck trees while conducting an instrument approach to an airport. The airport elevation was 152 feet MSL. After the collision, the airplane continued and landed without further incident at a nearby VFR airport.
Flight Details
According to the pilot, during the approach he descended to the minimum descent altitude of 500 feet MSL and engaged the autopilot in the altitude hold mode. He stated that after looking outside to locate the runway, he noticed the airplane had descended below 300 feet MSL. The airplane descended an additional 150 feet before it began climbing after the pilot initiated a go-around.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he thought he encountered windshear. However, the recorded winds were 120 degrees at 7 knots with no gusts, and there were no reports of windshear in the area. The pilot stated that he received an altitude alert from air traffic control, and 15 seconds later he declared that he was going around.
Weather Conditions
Winds at the time were from 120 degrees at 7 knots, with no gusts. No other weather phenomena were reported.
Aftermath
The airplane struck trees during the descent but subsequently landed safely at a nearby VFR airport. No further incidents occurred.