A Waco YMF-5 pilot hit a tree on short final while he looked for a sick sack after he became physically ill and disoriented on short final. He landing safely and only minor damage resulted.

Narrative

I was returning to my home airport after performing aerobatic maneuvers. In the downwind [leg] I began to feel extremely airsick and very disoriented. I turned an early base to expedite a landing and while I was searching in the map pocket for a sick sack; I hit a tree. After pulling up; I turned final and landed. Damage was several tears in the fabric under the wing; a broken lens cover over the landing light; and the landing gear fairing was smashed. There is no structural damage to the aircraft. My worst mistake was to allow myself to get distracted; but I was so disoriented that I did not realize that I was so low to the ground. I have flown approximately 300 hours in this aircraft over the past year. Very few of those flights were aerobatic. Before that I have 200 hours flying a Stearman biplane and more of those flights were aerobatic. I also have five summers of towing aerial advertising banners. When the wind blows offshore; there are a lot of thermals and a banner plane is lifted and dropped often. I have felt nauseous before; but was caught by surprise when I became so violently sick. You're probably not going to believe this; but I consider myself a conservative and careful pilot. I have been the check pilot for the banner towing company that I flew for and I'm the old fart that would admonish the kids for doing stupid things low to the ground. I got away from the banner towing thinking that conducting air tours would be safer. I wish that I had a good answer for how this could have been prevented or how to avoid it in the future.