Narrative:

The purpose of the flight was for familiarization in a PA32- 300 cherokee 6. I am an active flight instructor and will be conducting instruction in the cherokee, for the owner and his colleagues, once the chkout is complete. This would be just one of several flts in the aircraft. It was my 4TH time in this particular aircraft. I was in the left seat, instructor X was in the right. Mr. X was acting PIC. He has approximately 500 hours in type. I have approximately 4 hours in type, all in this airplane. We departed runway 18 at approximately XA05 local time. The WX was VFR. We estimated the WX at 2000-2500 ft broken to overcast with 5-7 mi visibility. We did basic air work to the east and northeast of the field. This included steep turns and rudder control. About 30 mins into the flight, I was instructed to enter left crosswind for runway 36 to inspect the windsock. No traffic was reported. When I was approximately 2 mi off the approach end of runway 18, X pulled the engine back to idle and stated that he was simulating a power failure. I turned immediately for the runway 18. We were obviously too high to make a safe approach. I felt that s-turns would be most appropriate, and began. Mr. X said 'no, slip it' and he took the controls and put the airplane in a forward slip, then said 'you have it.' I took the controls and resumed a normal glide once the appropriate glide path was going to make the runway in the present confign. I said 'we were not going to make it' and simultaneously applied full power to initiate a go around. X said 'I got it' and took the controls before I could get the power all the way to the firewall. X said 'I'll just lower the nose to build up a little airspeed, and we will clear the trees.' mr. X then retarded the throttle back to idle and lowered the nose. Before I could react, we struck the top of a pine tree approximately 1/2 mi final to runway 18. As we struck the tree a go around was initiated by both pilots simultaneously, and I was left on the controls. On climb out, mr. X took the controls due to the split flap condition. We entered left downwind at midfield and mr. X landed the airplane without further incident. Mr. X called the bridgeport FSS approximately 1 hour later to report the tree strike. Probable cause: 1) mr. X failed to recognize the proximity to the trees, when he decided not to let me continue the rejected approach. 2) mr. X unorthodox method of achieving best glide seems incorrect. Best glide speed (left/dmax) is the best you can do. 3) the flight crew's failure to maintain safe proximity to terrain on approach. 4) my failure to hold the throttle against the firewall, ensuring no one could retard it until safe altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 INSTRUCTOR PLTS FLEW A CHEROKEE 6 THROUGH THE TOP OF A TREE.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS FOR FAMILIARIZATION IN A PA32- 300 CHEROKEE 6. I AM AN ACTIVE FLT INSTRUCTOR AND WILL BE CONDUCTING INSTRUCTION IN THE CHEROKEE, FOR THE OWNER AND HIS COLLEAGUES, ONCE THE CHKOUT IS COMPLETE. THIS WOULD BE JUST ONE OF SEVERAL FLTS IN THE ACFT. IT WAS MY 4TH TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. I WAS IN THE L SEAT, INSTRUCTOR X WAS IN THE R. MR. X WAS ACTING PIC. HE HAS APPROX 500 HRS IN TYPE. I HAVE APPROX 4 HRS IN TYPE, ALL IN THIS AIRPLANE. WE DEPARTED RWY 18 AT APPROX XA05 LCL TIME. THE WX WAS VFR. WE ESTIMATED THE WX AT 2000-2500 FT BROKEN TO OVCST WITH 5-7 MI VISIBILITY. WE DID BASIC AIR WORK TO THE E AND NE OF THE FIELD. THIS INCLUDED STEEP TURNS AND RUDDER CTL. ABOUT 30 MINS INTO THE FLT, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER L XWIND FOR RWY 36 TO INSPECT THE WINDSOCK. NO TFC WAS RPTED. WHEN I WAS APPROX 2 MI OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 18, X PULLED THE ENG BACK TO IDLE AND STATED THAT HE WAS SIMULATING A PWR FAILURE. I TURNED IMMEDIATELY FOR THE RWY 18. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY TOO HIGH TO MAKE A SAFE APCH. I FELT THAT S-TURNS WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE, AND BEGAN. MR. X SAID 'NO, SLIP IT' AND HE TOOK THE CTLS AND PUT THE AIRPLANE IN A FORWARD SLIP, THEN SAID 'YOU HAVE IT.' I TOOK THE CTLS AND RESUMED A NORMAL GLIDE ONCE THE APPROPRIATE GLIDE PATH WAS GOING TO MAKE THE RWY IN THE PRESENT CONFIGN. I SAID 'WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT' AND SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED FULL PWR TO INITIATE A GAR. X SAID 'I GOT IT' AND TOOK THE CTLS BEFORE I COULD GET THE PWR ALL THE WAY TO THE FIREWALL. X SAID 'I'LL JUST LOWER THE NOSE TO BUILD UP A LITTLE AIRSPD, AND WE WILL CLR THE TREES.' MR. X THEN RETARDED THE THROTTLE BACK TO IDLE AND LOWERED THE NOSE. BEFORE I COULD REACT, WE STRUCK THE TOP OF A PINE TREE APPROX 1/2 MI FINAL TO RWY 18. AS WE STRUCK THE TREE A GAR WAS INITIATED BY BOTH PLTS SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND I WAS LEFT ON THE CTLS. ON CLBOUT, MR. X TOOK THE CTLS DUE TO THE SPLIT FLAP CONDITION. WE ENTERED L DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD AND MR. X LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MR. X CALLED THE BRIDGEPORT FSS APPROX 1 HR LATER TO RPT THE TREE STRIKE. PROBABLE CAUSE: 1) MR. X FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE PROX TO THE TREES, WHEN HE DECIDED NOT TO LET ME CONTINUE THE REJECTED APCH. 2) MR. X UNORTHODOX METHOD OF ACHIEVING BEST GLIDE SEEMS INCORRECT. BEST GLIDE SPD (L/DMAX) IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO. 3) THE FLC'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SAFE PROX TO TERRAIN ON APCH. 4) MY FAILURE TO HOLD THE THROTTLE AGAINST THE FIREWALL, ENSURING NO ONE COULD RETARD IT UNTIL SAFE ALT.

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.