Narrative:

On approach to a private strip I struck a fencepost with the right stabilizes/elevator. I found out the extent of the damage after returning to my home field and a local FBO which had a plane in the air surveyed the damage. The aircraft reacted fairly normal throughout the flight. I had no reason to believe it could not be brought back to my homefield west/O further incident. I believe the situation occurred because a sink rate that developed was more rapid than was anticipated. The temperature was warm which I also believe contributed to the faster than normal descent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he realized at about 150' on approach that he did not choose to land at this strip. Added power and performed a go around maneuver. Knew something had been hit, but thought it was the tail wheel. Since aircraft was flyable, although not very trimable, he decided to continue on home about 75 miles away. Arriving at bozeman he heard the local pilot who was airborne and asked for a survey. It was then he was told the entire right stabilizer and elevator was gone. He made his landing on main gear and held tail off until aircraft rolled onto grass beside the runway. Reporter chose to bypass helena airport on the way home because he would have had to make an approach over town to land. He was not sure how aircraft would react at slower speeds even though it was ctlable at cruise. He knew he could make his approach at bozeman west/O flying over any populated area. Reporter called helena tower when passing and asked them to alert his people at bozeman that he had a problem. This is why FAA reps were at the airport within 2 hours of his landing. FAA did not contact reporter for 24 hours. He feels he has been put through a veritable wringer since the by FAA, and thinks this is not a kindlier, gentler FAA. He has had a 609 check ride with emphasis on short field lndgs and everything else FAA could think of. Reporter is very realistic and admits he made an error. Aircraft will be back in the air in a short time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON APCH TO PVT STRIP DECISION MADE TO GO AROUND, BUT RIGHT STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR HIT FENCEPOST.

Narrative: ON APCH TO A PVT STRIP I STRUCK A FENCEPOST WITH THE RIGHT STABILIZES/ELEVATOR. I FOUND OUT THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AFTER RETURNING TO MY HOME FIELD AND A LCL FBO WHICH HAD A PLANE IN THE AIR SURVEYED THE DAMAGE. THE ACFT REACTED FAIRLY NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE FLT. I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT COULD NOT BE BROUGHT BACK TO MY HOMEFIELD W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE A SINK RATE THAT DEVELOPED WAS MORE RAPID THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. THE TEMP WAS WARM WHICH I ALSO BELIEVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE FASTER THAN NORMAL DSNT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE REALIZED AT ABOUT 150' ON APCH THAT HE DID NOT CHOOSE TO LAND AT THIS STRIP. ADDED PWR AND PERFORMED A GAR MANEUVER. KNEW SOMETHING HAD BEEN HIT, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS THE TAIL WHEEL. SINCE ACFT WAS FLYABLE, ALTHOUGH NOT VERY TRIMABLE, HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON HOME ABOUT 75 MILES AWAY. ARRIVING AT BOZEMAN HE HEARD THE LCL PLT WHO WAS AIRBORNE AND ASKED FOR A SURVEY. IT WAS THEN HE WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE RIGHT STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WAS GONE. HE MADE HIS LNDG ON MAIN GEAR AND HELD TAIL OFF UNTIL ACFT ROLLED ONTO GRASS BESIDE THE RWY. RPTR CHOSE TO BYPASS HELENA ARPT ON THE WAY HOME BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE AN APCH OVER TOWN TO LAND. HE WAS NOT SURE HOW ACFT WOULD REACT AT SLOWER SPDS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CTLABLE AT CRUISE. HE KNEW HE COULD MAKE HIS APCH AT BOZEMAN W/O FLYING OVER ANY POPULATED AREA. RPTR CALLED HELENA TWR WHEN PASSING AND ASKED THEM TO ALERT HIS PEOPLE AT BOZEMAN THAT HE HAD A PROB. THIS IS WHY FAA REPS WERE AT THE ARPT WITHIN 2 HRS OF HIS LNDG. FAA DID NOT CONTACT RPTR FOR 24 HRS. HE FEELS HE HAS BEEN PUT THROUGH A VERITABLE WRINGER SINCE THE BY FAA, AND THINKS THIS IS NOT A KINDLIER, GENTLER FAA. HE HAS HAD A 609 CHK RIDE WITH EMPHASIS ON SHORT FIELD LNDGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE FAA COULD THINK OF. RPTR IS VERY REALISTIC AND ADMITS HE MADE AN ERROR. ACFT WILL BE BACK IN THE AIR IN A SHORT TIME.

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.