LTT HITS TREES ON APCH AT NIGHT.

Narrative

SHORT RWY; ARPT SURROUNDED BY TREES; OBSTRUCTIONS; NOT LIGHTED. TO CORRECT THE PROB; THERE IS ROOM FOR OVERRUNS; ARPT AUTHORITY FEELS OVERRUNS NOT NECESSARY. OVERRUNS OR RWY EXTENSIONS WOULD ALLOW FOR A HIGHER APCH ANGLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE TREES FOR SOME TIME. IN THE DAYTIME IT IS NO PROB BUT AT NIGHT WITH NO VISIBILITY THERE; THEY ARE. THIS IS A HIGH SPD JET ACFT AND HEADQUARTERED AT THIS ARPT DUE TO PRESENCE OF A TWR. DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION OF MN CHKS THE OBSTRUCTIONS EVERY 2 YRS AND LAST TIME INDICATED THEY WERE MARGINALLY ABOVE THE GLIDE ANGLE. DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT CHK. RPTR BELIEVES THESE TREES GROW ABOUT 2 FT PER YR SO OF COURSE THEY ARE A PROB NOW. THE METROPOLITAN ARPT COMMISSION; WHO HAS FINAL JURISDICTION; SEEMS TO CONSTANTLY DRAG THEIR FEET ON ANY ACTION. RPTR VERY UPSET AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. A TREE BRANCH ENTERED 1 ENG; AND A FLAP AND LEADING EDGE OF WING WERE DAMAGED.