Narrative:

I departed vny XX15 local time on 10/mon/89, bound for whp. I advised vny tower of my destination and received clearance for downwind departure, to call vny tower prior to turning east and crossing their ILS. This was done, and xponding code 1200 and mode C, I climbed to 2500' MSL. After crossing the vny ILS, I called whp tower and cleared straight in to runway 12, to report on a 2 mi final. While I had reservations about a straight-in approach to this runway due to its unlit obstructions. I nevertheless accepted it and began a gradual let-down. I reported a 2 mi final and shortly afterward crossed highway 118. I stopped my descent at 1400' MSL on the altimeter, after which I based my approach on the visibility presentation outside the cockpit. This nighttime visibility presentation (reference to what lights there were on the ground, and the visibility appearance of the runway lights) proved inadequate since the airplane continued a very gradual descent until contact with a power pole was made by the left wing. I had already started up with the power prior to impact, so I continued to full throttle. I advanced the propeller control to full forward. I had gear down, and full flaps, and the last scan of the airspeed had shown 80 KTS, so I pulled the nose up until it appeared I was climbing. The airplane seemed to be being held back by something, which I later learned was the top of a tree. I raised the landing gear, and then gradually raised the flaps. I advised whp tower that I hit something on the approach, and they asked if I would like another approach. Seeing (silhouetted against the ground) that there was damage to the left wing tip, I declined, advising them that I would return to vny. The return to vny was uneventful, although I landed with excess airspeed (100 KTS) and with the left wing held high. Contributing factors: 1) there are a number of unlit power poles, all of which are black, on the approach to runway 12, none of them have obstructions lights. 2) there is no VASI. 3) the runway lights are of insufficient intensity and make differentiation between runway and ground clutter difficult. 4) final approach to runway 12 is located over a 'black hole.' effectively, there is no ground reference on which to base an approach slope during nighttime. Straight-in approachs are especially dangerous. 5) since the initial half of runway 12 slopes upward, it's visibility presentation to the pilot leads him to believe he is higher than he is. 6. There is no G/south. Corrective actions: 1) obstruction light all poles. I cannot believe that these poles can crowd the approach to the runway and be unlit. 2) remove poles and bury the wires. 3) install VASI. 4) place in service an ATIS which tells pilots the hazardous nature of the obstructions on the approach to runway 12 during nighttime. 5) close the airport during the hours of darkness. Factors affecting human performance: the lack of a suitable nighttime ground reference under final approach (considering the lack of all other pilot aids), plus the unlit obstructions in proximity to the runway, make nighttime operations on this runway extremely hazardous. Nighttime activity at this airport should not be allowed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT HIT A TREE AND A POWER POLE DURING APCH TO RWY 12 AT WHP AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED VNY XX15 LCL TIME ON 10/MON/89, BOUND FOR WHP. I ADVISED VNY TWR OF MY DEST AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR DOWNWIND DEP, TO CALL VNY TWR PRIOR TO TURNING E AND XING THEIR ILS. THIS WAS DONE, AND XPONDING CODE 1200 AND MODE C, I CLBED TO 2500' MSL. AFTER XING THE VNY ILS, I CALLED WHP TWR AND CLRED STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 12, TO RPT ON A 2 MI FINAL. WHILE I HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO THIS RWY DUE TO ITS UNLIT OBSTRUCTIONS. I NEVERTHELESS ACCEPTED IT AND BEGAN A GRADUAL LET-DOWN. I RPTED A 2 MI FINAL AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD CROSSED HWY 118. I STOPPED MY DSCNT AT 1400' MSL ON THE ALTIMETER, AFTER WHICH I BASED MY APCH ON THE VIS PRESENTATION OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. THIS NIGHTTIME VIS PRESENTATION (REF TO WHAT LIGHTS THERE WERE ON THE GND, AND THE VIS APPEARANCE OF THE RWY LIGHTS) PROVED INADEQUATE SINCE THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED A VERY GRADUAL DSCNT UNTIL CONTACT WITH A POWER POLE WAS MADE BY THE LEFT WING. I HAD ALREADY STARTED UP WITH THE PWR PRIOR TO IMPACT, SO I CONTINUED TO FULL THROTTLE. I ADVANCED THE PROP CONTROL TO FULL FORWARD. I HAD GEAR DOWN, AND FULL FLAPS, AND THE LAST SCAN OF THE AIRSPD HAD SHOWN 80 KTS, SO I PULLED THE NOSE UP UNTIL IT APPEARED I WAS CLBING. THE AIRPLANE SEEMED TO BE BEING HELD BACK BY SOMETHING, WHICH I LATER LEARNED WAS THE TOP OF A TREE. I RAISED THE LNDG GEAR, AND THEN GRADUALLY RAISED THE FLAPS. I ADVISED WHP TWR THAT I HIT SOMETHING ON THE APCH, AND THEY ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER APCH. SEEING (SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE GND) THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP, I DECLINED, ADVISING THEM THAT I WOULD RETURN TO VNY. THE RETURN TO VNY WAS UNEVENTFUL, ALTHOUGH I LANDED WITH EXCESS AIRSPD (100 KTS) AND WITH THE LEFT WING HELD HIGH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THERE ARE A NUMBER OF UNLIT POWER POLES, ALL OF WHICH ARE BLACK, ON THE APCH TO RWY 12, NONE OF THEM HAVE OBSTRUCTIONS LIGHTS. 2) THERE IS NO VASI. 3) THE RWY LIGHTS ARE OF INSUFFICIENT INTENSITY AND MAKE DIFFERENTIATION BTWN RWY AND GND CLUTTER DIFFICULT. 4) FINAL APCH TO RWY 12 IS LOCATED OVER A 'BLACK HOLE.' EFFECTIVELY, THERE IS NO GND REF ON WHICH TO BASE AN APCH SLOPE DURING NIGHTTIME. STRAIGHT-IN APCHS ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. 5) SINCE THE INITIAL HALF OF RWY 12 SLOPES UPWARD, IT'S VIS PRESENTATION TO THE PLT LEADS HIM TO BELIEVE HE IS HIGHER THAN HE IS. 6. THERE IS NO G/S. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) OBSTRUCTION LIGHT ALL POLES. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THESE POLES CAN CROWD THE APCH TO THE RWY AND BE UNLIT. 2) REMOVE POLES AND BURY THE WIRES. 3) INSTALL VASI. 4) PLACE IN SVC AN ATIS WHICH TELLS PLTS THE HAZARDOUS NATURE OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE APCH TO RWY 12 DURING NIGHTTIME. 5) CLOSE THE ARPT DURING THE HRS OF DARKNESS. FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: THE LACK OF A SUITABLE NIGHTTIME GND REF UNDER FINAL APCH (CONSIDERING THE LACK OF ALL OTHER PLT AIDS), PLUS THE UNLIT OBSTRUCTIONS IN PROX TO THE RWY, MAKE NIGHTTIME OPS ON THIS RWY EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. NIGHTTIME ACTIVITY AT THIS ARPT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.