Narrative:

Our day started late since haze was limiting visibility. I met up with the chief pilot at approximately XA30 am. He gave me instructions to finish taking pictures in an area in adams county. I took pictures for approximately 2 hours before taking on fuel at pld. Shortly before xdpm. I departed pld to finish my work in adams county. I was taking pictures of homes on a n-s road that led into the town of decatur. There was a tower east of the road that I was aware of from consulting maps. I had sufficient altitude, and had to fly past the tower northbound. After awhile, I reversed course and started flying sbound. Then heading sbound, I struck the tower without ever seeing it as it was below the nose of the plane as I was approaching it. The wind was significant and gusty and the sky was very hazy. Somehow I lost enough altitude and direction being occupied by staying away from the town and proceeding back on course that I never saw the tower. After striking the tower I assessed the damage to the aircraft. The left landing gear had been severed halfway down the strut, the trailing edge flap was damaged, and there was a tear in the skin at the leading edge of the wing. The plane continued to fly without any control problems. One of my first concerns was that there might be a fuel leak in the damaged wing. I determined there was no fluid leakage visually or with my fuel indicator. I climbed to a higher altitude and contacted a company pilot on the radio. He was able to contact the chief pilot, and the 3 of us assessed the situation. I met up with the company pilot at an altitude of 3500 ft. He did a visual assessment of my plane, and did not determine any additional damage. The chief pilot and I decided an emergency landing at ind was the best solution since emergency equipment was on the field. Flying back to ind was a concern, however, we decided it was the safest alternative. The airplane was flying without control problems. I closely monitored the flap and leading edge. Since the trailing edge flap was damaged, we decided it would be best to leave the flaps retracted. On short final, the master switch, fuel valve, mixture, and magnetos were shut off. I touched down on the right wheel, then applied full right aileron and up elevator to keep the left strut off the runway for as long as possible. I landed on the right side of the runway knowing the aircraft would move to the left after the left strut touched down. I safely executed the landing with minimal movement to the left after touchdown. I received many compliments on my landing from the emergency crew. There were no injuries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PHOTO PLT HIT TWR.

Narrative: OUR DAY STARTED LATE SINCE HAZE WAS LIMITING VISIBILITY. I MET UP WITH THE CHIEF PLT AT APPROX XA30 AM. HE GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS TO FINISH TAKING PICTURES IN AN AREA IN ADAMS COUNTY. I TOOK PICTURES FOR APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE TAKING ON FUEL AT PLD. SHORTLY BEFORE XDPM. I DEPARTED PLD TO FINISH MY WORK IN ADAMS COUNTY. I WAS TAKING PICTURES OF HOMES ON A N-S ROAD THAT LED INTO THE TOWN OF DECATUR. THERE WAS A TWR E OF THE ROAD THAT I WAS AWARE OF FROM CONSULTING MAPS. I HAD SUFFICIENT ALT, AND HAD TO FLY PAST THE TWR NBOUND. AFTER AWHILE, I REVERSED COURSE AND STARTED FLYING SBOUND. THEN HDG SBOUND, I STRUCK THE TWR WITHOUT EVER SEEING IT AS IT WAS BELOW THE NOSE OF THE PLANE AS I WAS APCHING IT. THE WIND WAS SIGNIFICANT AND GUSTY AND THE SKY WAS VERY HAZY. SOMEHOW I LOST ENOUGH ALT AND DIRECTION BEING OCCUPIED BY STAYING AWAY FROM THE TOWN AND PROCEEDING BACK ON COURSE THAT I NEVER SAW THE TWR. AFTER STRIKING THE TWR I ASSESSED THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE L LNDG GEAR HAD BEEN SEVERED HALFWAY DOWN THE STRUT, THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP WAS DAMAGED, AND THERE WAS A TEAR IN THE SKIN AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING. THE PLANE CONTINUED TO FLY WITHOUT ANY CTL PROBS. ONE OF MY FIRST CONCERNS WAS THAT THERE MIGHT BE A FUEL LEAK IN THE DAMAGED WING. I DETERMINED THERE WAS NO FLUID LEAKAGE VISUALLY OR WITH MY FUEL INDICATOR. I CLBED TO A HIGHER ALT AND CONTACTED A COMPANY PLT ON THE RADIO. HE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE CHIEF PLT, AND THE 3 OF US ASSESSED THE SIT. I MET UP WITH THE COMPANY PLT AT AN ALT OF 3500 FT. HE DID A VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF MY PLANE, AND DID NOT DETERMINE ANY ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. THE CHIEF PLT AND I DECIDED AN EMER LNDG AT IND WAS THE BEST SOLUTION SINCE EMER EQUIP WAS ON THE FIELD. FLYING BACK TO IND WAS A CONCERN, HOWEVER, WE DECIDED IT WAS THE SAFEST ALTERNATIVE. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING WITHOUT CTL PROBS. I CLOSELY MONITORED THE FLAP AND LEADING EDGE. SINCE THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP WAS DAMAGED, WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO LEAVE THE FLAPS RETRACTED. ON SHORT FINAL, THE MASTER SWITCH, FUEL VALVE, MIXTURE, AND MAGNETOS WERE SHUT OFF. I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE R WHEEL, THEN APPLIED FULL R AILERON AND UP ELEVATOR TO KEEP THE L STRUT OFF THE RWY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. I LANDED ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY KNOWING THE ACFT WOULD MOVE TO THE L AFTER THE L STRUT TOUCHED DOWN. I SAFELY EXECUTED THE LNDG WITH MINIMAL MOVEMENT TO THE L AFTER TOUCHDOWN. I RECEIVED MANY COMPLIMENTS ON MY LNDG FROM THE EMER CREW. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

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.