Narrative:

On a return flight from iag to 85N, a distance of approximately 15 NM, I was attempting to land on the unlighted grass strip (hollands). One of the individuals that resides on the airport decided to pull his automobile onto the runway to help in lighting it. He was parked on the departure end, the runway is 6-24. I was landing to the east. As I was on the approach the runway was clearly visible so I continued. Upon starting the flare for landing, the headlights from the parked automobile made it very difficult to see forward, so I started a go around. As the plane became airborne, I hit 2 small trees with the left wing, approximately 18 inches from the tip. The trees were on the left side of the runway about 1300 ft from the approach end. The 2950 by 75 ft runway is surrounded on all sides by trees, the sides of the runway have been grown in by small bushes and trees to the point where the runway is probably only 50 ft wide. I hit 2 small poplar trees approximately 2 inches in diameter. I continued the go around and proceeded to land in the opposite direction with no difficulty. I am very familiar with this airport and have operated off it numerous times in the dark. This is the first time I have used it when someone was lighting it with automatic headlights. I didn't realize the amount of blinding that would occur upon landing with the aircraft pointed into the lights. It is very obvious at this time that the proper thing is to land away, from any of this type of lighting. Also starting the go around at a higher altitude certainly would have helped to keep the aircraft out of harm's way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LNDG UNLIGHTED STRIP STARTS GAR, HITS TREES WITH WING.

Narrative: ON A RETURN FLT FROM IAG TO 85N, A DISTANCE OF APPROX 15 NM, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON THE UNLIGHTED GRASS STRIP (HOLLANDS). ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT RESIDES ON THE ARPT DECIDED TO PULL HIS AUTOMOBILE ONTO THE RWY TO HELP IN LIGHTING IT. HE WAS PARKED ON THE DEP END, THE RWY IS 6-24. I WAS LNDG TO THE E. AS I WAS ON THE APCH THE RWY WAS CLRLY VISIBLE SO I CONTINUED. UPON STARTING THE FLARE FOR LNDG, THE HEADLIGHTS FROM THE PARKED AUTOMOBILE MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE FORWARD, SO I STARTED A GAR. AS THE PLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, I HIT 2 SMALL TREES WITH THE L WING, APPROX 18 INCHES FROM THE TIP. THE TREES WERE ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY ABOUT 1300 FT FROM THE APCH END. THE 2950 BY 75 FT RWY IS SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY TREES, THE SIDES OF THE RWY HAVE BEEN GROWN IN BY SMALL BUSHES AND TREES TO THE POINT WHERE THE RWY IS PROBABLY ONLY 50 FT WIDE. I HIT 2 SMALL POPLAR TREES APPROX 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. I CONTINUED THE GAR AND PROCEEDED TO LAND IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WITH NO DIFFICULTY. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT AND HAVE OPERATED OFF IT NUMEROUS TIMES IN THE DARK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE USED IT WHEN SOMEONE WAS LIGHTING IT WITH AUTO HEADLIGHTS. I DIDN'T REALIZE THE AMOUNT OF BLINDING THAT WOULD OCCUR UPON LNDG WITH THE ACFT POINTED INTO THE LIGHTS. IT IS VERY OBVIOUS AT THIS TIME THAT THE PROPER THING IS TO LAND AWAY, FROM ANY OF THIS TYPE OF LIGHTING. ALSO STARTING THE GAR AT A HIGHER ALT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HELPED TO KEEP THE ACFT OUT OF HARM'S WAY.

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.