Small aircraft lands at closed airport. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	272797
Time
Date	199405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 707 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	272797
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I left mesquite hudson airport for a short pleasure trip to lake hideaway to visit my long time friend. On board was with me my wife and daughter. It was a clear day with almost unlimited visibility. I spotted lake hideaway and started my descent. I noticed the wind was from the north so I prepared for a left base and a 360 landing. On my final approach, I noticed a very tall pine tree in line with the runway. I concentrated on keeping my altitude low and above the tree. On short final, I noted the proximity of a mail box and a small flag pole to the right of the runway. I thought I could negotiate a landing by setting the plane to the right side of the strip. The landing was difficult but uneventful, when I stopped some golfers told me that the strip was closed. When I checked the airplane after landing, I noticed some damage on the right wingtip by the navigation light. The damage was very minimal and did not effect the airworthiness of the plane. Now I realize that I will probably pay dearly for a couple of short-cuts. The runway was X'ed out at both ends, but this was unnoticed. The red balls on high terrain wires by the end of the runway were still in place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS AT CLOSED ARPT. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I LEFT MESQUITE HUDSON ARPT FOR A SHORT PLEASURE TRIP TO LAKE HIDEAWAY TO VISIT MY LONG TIME FRIEND. ON BOARD WAS WITH ME MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. IT WAS A CLR DAY WITH ALMOST UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. I SPOTTED LAKE HIDEAWAY AND STARTED MY DSCNT. I NOTICED THE WIND WAS FROM THE N SO I PREPARED FOR A L BASE AND A 360 LNDG. ON MY FINAL APCH, I NOTICED A VERY TALL PINE TREE IN LINE WITH THE RWY. I CONCENTRATED ON KEEPING MY ALT LOW AND ABOVE THE TREE. ON SHORT FINAL, I NOTED THE PROX OF A MAIL BOX AND A SMALL FLAG POLE TO THE R OF THE RWY. I THOUGHT I COULD NEGOTIATE A LNDG BY SETTING THE PLANE TO THE R SIDE OF THE STRIP. THE LNDG WAS DIFFICULT BUT UNEVENTFUL, WHEN I STOPPED SOME GOLFERS TOLD ME THAT THE STRIP WAS CLOSED. WHEN I CHKED THE AIRPLANE AFTER LNDG, I NOTICED SOME DAMAGE ON THE R WINGTIP BY THE NAV LIGHT. THE DAMAGE WAS VERY MINIMAL AND DID NOT EFFECT THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE PLANE. NOW I REALIZE THAT I WILL PROBABLY PAY DEARLY FOR A COUPLE OF SHORT-CUTS. THE RWY WAS X'ED OUT AT BOTH ENDS, BUT THIS WAS UNNOTICED. THE RED BALLS ON HIGH TERRAIN WIRES BY THE END OF THE RWY WERE STILL IN PLACE.

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.