AN SMA'S WING STRUCK A TREE ON A VISUAL APCH TO BFI RWY 31L DUE TO THE PLT'S VIEW OF THE VASI BEING BLOCKED BY BRIGHT RAMP LIGHTING.

Narrative

NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO SEATTLE; BOEING FIELD (BFI). HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING RWY END IDENTIFIER DUE TO BRIGHT LIGHTING OF RAMP ABEAM APCH END OF RWY 31L. INADVERTENT DSCNT WHILE TURNING L BASE LEG CAUSED TREE STRIKE ON HIGH GND APPROX HALF MI SW OF RWY 31L APCH END. MINOR DAMAGE TO R WING LEADING EDGE APPROX 30 INCHES INBOARD OF WING TIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE NIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT; VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS WERE ON THE RAMP TO FACILITATE WORK ON A JET BEING PREPARED FOR DELIVERY. HE AND HIS PAX DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ACFT STRUCK AN OBJECT. THEY EXPERIENCED A MILD TO MODERATE TURB ON THE APCH; BUT DID NOT CONNECT THAT WITH HITTING AN OBJECT. DURING A POST FLT INSPECTION THEY DID EXAMINE THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ACFT; BUT DID NOT SEE THE WING DAMAGE UNTIL THE NEXT PREFLT. RPTR STATED THAT IN RETROSPECT HE WOULD HAVE REQUESTED AN INSTRUMENT APCH BECAUSE THE VISUAL APCH SLOPE WAS UNUSABLE FROM HIS LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THIS RAMP LIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE IS A RARE EVENT; BUT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE DIRE FOR PLTS CONDUCTING VISUAL APCHS.