Narrative:

I needed to deliver an article to a friend of mine who is a paraplegic. He resides near a grass airstrip (mckenzie field) in avinger, tx. Due to the fact that my friend is a paraplegic, I chose this landing point due to his disability and convenience. I have landed at several grass airports before, but was unfamiliar with this particular one. The field is lodged in a heavy pine tree area near a lake. The runway has no delineation as to the edge. It is as if you were landing in a moderately rough field. At the east end of the field is a very narrow point of passage due to pine shrubs and tree limbs. I was flying in an small aircraft during the incident. As I arrived at the airport, I landed on runway 27. As I was approaching I noticed the narrowing area at the east end of the field, so I held my approach at a slightly higher rate than normal passing over the narrow point. The landing was normal and uneventful. Winds at the time were calm. I chose runway 27 vs 09 due to 40' trees on the approach to runway 09. Due to calm winds and the trees on runway 27 being very narrow at the east end of the field, I wanted to depart on runway 09 and become airborne before the narrowing of the runway. I was met, however, by the airport manager who pointed out that runway 27 is downhill and has a steep gradient. He further pointed out runway 09 would be uphill, so I chose runway 27 for takeoff. The takeoff was normal, however midway back to my original departure point I observed left wing tip damage. Upon landing I found minor damage to the left wing tip, strobe light and light assembly. This incident was reported to the FAA by the FBO operator because I could not pay for the insurance deductible immediately upon landing. My feeling is I should have found a better 'airport' to land at, no matter how far my friend had to drive. I subsequently found out almost no one ever flies in or out of this airport except the manager, who flies a high wing. This airport needs improvement and should be considered hazardous to operate out of. Also, there is no mention of the steep gradient in the published airport facs directory.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LOW WING ACFT TAKING OFF FROM SMALL GRASS STRIP HIT TREE TOP AT END OF NARROW RWY.

Narrative: I NEEDED TO DELIVER AN ARTICLE TO A FRIEND OF MINE WHO IS A PARAPLEGIC. HE RESIDES NEAR A GRASS AIRSTRIP (MCKENZIE FIELD) IN AVINGER, TX. DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY FRIEND IS A PARAPLEGIC, I CHOSE THIS LNDG POINT DUE TO HIS DISABILITY AND CONVENIENCE. I HAVE LANDED AT SEVERAL GRASS ARPTS BEFORE, BUT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR ONE. THE FIELD IS LODGED IN A HEAVY PINE TREE AREA NEAR A LAKE. THE RWY HAS NO DELINEATION AS TO THE EDGE. IT IS AS IF YOU WERE LNDG IN A MODERATELY ROUGH FIELD. AT THE E END OF THE FIELD IS A VERY NARROW POINT OF PASSAGE DUE TO PINE SHRUBS AND TREE LIMBS. I WAS FLYING IN AN SMA DURING THE INCIDENT. AS I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT, I LANDED ON RWY 27. AS I WAS APCHING I NOTICED THE NARROWING AREA AT THE E END OF THE FIELD, SO I HELD MY APCH AT A SLIGHTLY HIGHER RATE THAN NORMAL PASSING OVER THE NARROW POINT. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. WINDS AT THE TIME WERE CALM. I CHOSE RWY 27 VS 09 DUE TO 40' TREES ON THE APCH TO RWY 09. DUE TO CALM WINDS AND THE TREES ON RWY 27 BEING VERY NARROW AT THE E END OF THE FIELD, I WANTED TO DEPART ON RWY 09 AND BECOME AIRBORNE BEFORE THE NARROWING OF THE RWY. I WAS MET, HOWEVER, BY THE ARPT MGR WHO POINTED OUT THAT RWY 27 IS DOWNHILL AND HAS A STEEP GRADIENT. HE FURTHER POINTED OUT RWY 09 WOULD BE UPHILL, SO I CHOSE RWY 27 FOR TKOF. THE TKOF WAS NORMAL, HOWEVER MIDWAY BACK TO MY ORIGINAL DEP POINT I OBSERVED LEFT WING TIP DAMAGE. UPON LNDG I FOUND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING TIP, STROBE LIGHT AND LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS INCIDENT WAS RPTED TO THE FAA BY THE FBO OPERATOR BECAUSE I COULD NOT PAY FOR THE INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG. MY FEELING IS I SHOULD HAVE FOUND A BETTER 'ARPT' TO LAND AT, NO MATTER HOW FAR MY FRIEND HAD TO DRIVE. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND OUT ALMOST NO ONE EVER FLIES IN OR OUT OF THIS ARPT EXCEPT THE MGR, WHO FLIES A HIGH WING. THIS ARPT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE OUT OF. ALSO, THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE STEEP GRADIENT IN THE PUBLISHED ARPT FACS DIRECTORY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.