Air taxi attempting turn around from pass when WX deteriorates, hit trees.

Attributes
ACN	211281
Time
Date	199205
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jnu
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jnu
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2509
ASRS Report	211281
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While en route from juneau to gustavus where I had started from on the previous flight, I was flying at 1500 MSL above scud layer. Visibility was 3-5 mi in rain. I was attempting to fly through funter pass which I thought looked good. As I started into the pass I began to lose forward visibility, so I began a descending left hand turn back towards the beach to go try a different route. As I was turning I saw a couple eagles flying close to my intended flight path. I shallowed up my turn so as to avoid the birds. I then flew into a patch of fog, which didn't concern me much at the time because I thought I was going in a safe direction. But because I shallowed my turn and the wind was blowing me towards a low hill (hill was obscured in fog) I all of a sudden had trees in front of the plane. I pulled up, but struck tree top with left wing. I then lost sight of the ground again. I could see from the attitude indicator that aircraft was rolling rapidly left due to badly damaged wing. (It pushed leading edge to spar in about a 2 ft section and bent spar slightly). I then came out in the open and declared an emergency to juneau tower and landed without incident. I feel accident could have been avoided if I had turned around sooner; stuck to a more familiar route; stayed lower, so as not to lose ground reference; had not let eagles distract me from greater danger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ATTEMPTING TURN AROUND FROM PASS WHEN WX DETERIORATES, HIT TREES.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM JUNEAU TO GUSTAVUS WHERE I HAD STARTED FROM ON THE PREVIOUS FLT, I WAS FLYING AT 1500 MSL ABOVE SCUD LAYER. VISIBILITY WAS 3-5 MI IN RAIN. I WAS ATTEMPTING TO FLY THROUGH FUNTER PASS WHICH I THOUGHT LOOKED GOOD. AS I STARTED INTO THE PASS I BEGAN TO LOSE FORWARD VISIBILITY, SO I BEGAN A DSNDING L HAND TURN BACK TOWARDS THE BEACH TO GO TRY A DIFFERENT RTE. AS I WAS TURNING I SAW A COUPLE EAGLES FLYING CLOSE TO MY INTENDED FLT PATH. I SHALLOWED UP MY TURN SO AS TO AVOID THE BIRDS. I THEN FLEW INTO A PATCH OF FOG, WHICH DIDN'T CONCERN ME MUCH AT THE TIME BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING IN A SAFE DIRECTION. BUT BECAUSE I SHALLOWED MY TURN AND THE WIND WAS BLOWING ME TOWARDS A LOW HILL (HILL WAS OBSCURED IN FOG) I ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD TREES IN FRONT OF THE PLANE. I PULLED UP, BUT STRUCK TREE TOP WITH L WING. I THEN LOST SIGHT OF THE GND AGAIN. I COULD SEE FROM THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR THAT ACFT WAS ROLLING RAPIDLY L DUE TO BADLY DAMAGED WING. (IT PUSHED LEADING EDGE TO SPAR IN ABOUT A 2 FT SECTION AND BENT SPAR SLIGHTLY). I THEN CAME OUT IN THE OPEN AND DECLARED AN EMER TO JUNEAU TWR AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD TURNED AROUND SOONER; STUCK TO A MORE FAMILIAR RTE; STAYED LOWER, SO AS NOT TO LOSE GND REF; HAD NOT LET EAGLES DISTRACT ME FROM GREATER DANGER.

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.