A VFR PA28 PLT AVOIDING SEVERE WX REVERSED COURSE AND DECIDED TO LAND. THE ACFT'S L WING LEADING EDGE WAS DAMAGED BY A TREE STRIKE WHILE AVOIDING RWY OBSTACLES.

Date: 2005-07 · Aircraft: PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|ground-event-encounter-other-unknown|ground-excursion-runway|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

A VFR PA28 PLT AVOIDING SEVERE WX REVERSED COURSE AND DECIDED TO LAND. THE ACFT'S L WING LEADING EDGE WAS DAMAGED BY A TREE STRIKE WHILE AVOIDING RWY OBSTACLES.

Narrative

ON A VFR FLT WHILE RETURNING TO ZZZ ON JULY/TUES/2005 I STARTED TO ENCOUNTER DIMINISHING WX IN THE AREA OF MGJ. USING MY FAA VFR SECTIONAL CHART AND A HAND HELD GPS; I LOCATED THE CLOSEST ARPT TO MY POSITION. SEEING TSTMS AND LIGHTNING DIRECTLY AHEAD; I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND LAND AT ZZZ1; WHICH I FLEW OVER A FEW MILES BACK. IN PREPARING TO LAND AND ON FINAL APCH; I REALIZED A STRING OF ORANGE CONES ALONG THE RWY CTRLINE. CLOSER TO MY TOUCHDOWN POINT; I SAW LONG TREE LIMBS AND LOGS ALSO ON THE RWY. I WAS COMMITTED TO LAND; SO I DECIDED TO LAND WITH MY R MAIN ON THE PAVED RWY AND THE L MAIN IN THE GRASS. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LNDG AND AVOIDING ALL RWY OBSTACLES; SLOWING THE ACFT DOWN I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A FLEXIBLE BUSH/SHRUB 5 FT OR 6 FT HIGH A FEW FEET OFF THE RWY EDGE. I KNEW AT THIS POINT IT WOULD CONTACT MY L WING; IT DID; AND CAUSED L WING LEADING EDGE DAMAGE AND RUPTURED THE FUEL TANK. THIS BUSH PROVED TO BE A SMALL JUNIPER TREE. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 50 YDS INTO THE WET GRASS AND WEEDS; SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING; THEN EXITED THE PLANE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE RWY; I SAW UNPAINTED 55 GALLON DRUMS AND MORE LOGS ON THE REMAINDER OF RWY. THIS ARPT WAS NOT PROPERLY OR SAFELY CLOSED. THERE WERE NO PAX; NO INJURIES; AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE ACFT. THE DAMAGE WAS MINOR; SO THE ACFT WAS REPAIRED ON SITE AND FLOWN OUT. HE HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING FURTHER ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.