Narrative:

On an IFR flight from bwi to mrn, after reporting to ric approach at 8000 ft, I noticed the artificial horizon was not indicating properly as compared to the turn and bank. I checked the vacuum and it was out of the green (it was ok at preflight). I pulled on the alternate vacuum, reduced power but the alternate did not work either. When I reduced power, the panel lights dimmed. The ammeter was showing discharge (preflight was ok). I tried to call ric approach but they did not respond. I switched the transponder to 7600 but by then the battery was reading 11.6 volts. I turned the second communication back on to try ric, but the radio went into self-test. I had checked all the fuses and turned the master switch off and on. All lights , radios went dark. By flashlight I looked at the IFR chart and saw the elevation of ric airport and turned toward the one set of runway end identifier lights that I saw and began to descend (I was in VFR conditions) to that runway. (Upon landing I found out it was petersburg). I could not see any gauges except momentarily. I did not insist the flashlight be held on the panel. I descended to about 1500 ft, again with glimpses of altimeter, and lowered the gear by hand pumping. I was overflying the approach end of the runway while doing this. I had no visibility of the ground only because it was dark, not IMC. I saw the gear down using a flashlight and made a shallow right turn to the runway. I controled the airspeed at about 90 KTS, and I had to make a no flap landing so I flew a 'flat' approach. I did not see the altimeter but gauged ht by runway appearance. It was remaining rectangular and not appearing large at the approach end and smaller at the opposite end. I heard a 'thunk' (later found to be some part of a tree) and immediately applied power and climbed. Within seconds I was at the runway and proceeded to land without any problems. I called FSS to report down ok. I looked at the bottom of the airplane and saw no damage. Then someone saw the damage to the right wing leading edge and slight denting of the right elevator. I recalled FSS and reported the damage. The FAA inspected it the next morning and considered it an incident rather than serious damage and/or an accident. The incident could have been prevented if I was aware, or thought to look at or for the VASI system, but I was lower than I should have been because of being unable to see gauges or the ground and did not see the VASI nor did I think to look for one. I was also concerned about a steep approach without flaps and I was not sure of the runway length and did not want a go around and did not want to become disoriented and lose sight of the airport. I had power throughout all of this. I should have insisted the light be held on the panel, but it caused a glare in the windshield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT HIT A TREE WITH HIS SMA ON A NIGHT LNDG.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM BWI TO MRN, AFTER RPTING TO RIC APCH AT 8000 FT, I NOTICED THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON WAS NOT INDICATING PROPERLY AS COMPARED TO THE TURN AND BANK. I CHKED THE VACUUM AND IT WAS OUT OF THE GREEN (IT WAS OK AT PREFLT). I PULLED ON THE ALTERNATE VACUUM, REDUCED PWR BUT THE ALTERNATE DID NOT WORK EITHER. WHEN I REDUCED PWR, THE PANEL LIGHTS DIMMED. THE AMMETER WAS SHOWING DISCHARGE (PREFLT WAS OK). I TRIED TO CALL RIC APCH BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND. I SWITCHED THE XPONDER TO 7600 BUT BY THEN THE BATTERY WAS READING 11.6 VOLTS. I TURNED THE SECOND COM BACK ON TO TRY RIC, BUT THE RADIO WENT INTO SELF-TEST. I HAD CHKED ALL THE FUSES AND TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF AND ON. ALL LIGHTS , RADIOS WENT DARK. BY FLASHLIGHT I LOOKED AT THE IFR CHART AND SAW THE ELEVATION OF RIC ARPT AND TURNED TOWARD THE ONE SET OF RWY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS THAT I SAW AND BEGAN TO DSND (I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS) TO THAT RWY. (UPON LNDG I FOUND OUT IT WAS PETERSBURG). I COULD NOT SEE ANY GAUGES EXCEPT MOMENTARILY. I DID NOT INSIST THE FLASHLIGHT BE HELD ON THE PANEL. I DSNDED TO ABOUT 1500 FT, AGAIN WITH GLIMPSES OF ALTIMETER, AND LOWERED THE GEAR BY HAND PUMPING. I WAS OVERFLYING THE APCH END OF THE RWY WHILE DOING THIS. I HAD NO VISIBILITY OF THE GND ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS DARK, NOT IMC. I SAW THE GEAR DOWN USING A FLASHLIGHT AND MADE A SHALLOW R TURN TO THE RWY. I CTLED THE AIRSPD AT ABOUT 90 KTS, AND I HAD TO MAKE A NO FLAP LNDG SO I FLEW A 'FLAT' APCH. I DID NOT SEE THE ALTIMETER BUT GAUGED HT BY RWY APPEARANCE. IT WAS REMAINING RECTANGULAR AND NOT APPEARING LARGE AT THE APCH END AND SMALLER AT THE OPPOSITE END. I HEARD A 'THUNK' (LATER FOUND TO BE SOME PART OF A TREE) AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED PWR AND CLBED. WITHIN SECONDS I WAS AT THE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO LAND WITHOUT ANY PROBS. I CALLED FSS TO RPT DOWN OK. I LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE AND SAW NO DAMAGE. THEN SOMEONE SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE R WING LEADING EDGE AND SLIGHT DENTING OF THE R ELEVATOR. I RECALLED FSS AND RPTED THE DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTED IT THE NEXT MORNING AND CONSIDERED IT AN INCIDENT RATHER THAN SERIOUS DAMAGE AND/OR AN ACCIDENT. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I WAS AWARE, OR THOUGHT TO LOOK AT OR FOR THE VASI SYS, BUT I WAS LOWER THAN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF BEING UNABLE TO SEE GAUGES OR THE GND AND DID NOT SEE THE VASI NOR DID I THINK TO LOOK FOR ONE. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT A STEEP APCH WITHOUT FLAPS AND I WAS NOT SURE OF THE RWY LENGTH AND DID NOT WANT A GAR AND DID NOT WANT TO BECOME DISORIENTED AND LOSE SIGHT OF THE ARPT. I HAD PWR THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS. I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED THE LIGHT BE HELD ON THE PANEL, BUT IT CAUSED A GLARE IN THE WINDSHIELD.

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.