Narrative:

Aircraft instructional flight starts approximately XG00. Departing 5g8 for 7 night lndgs at 5g8 to familiarize student with area and airport. Then proceeding to lbe for 1 practice ILS approach and a full stop landing at lbe. We refueled at approximately XH20 for 1/2 hour to approximately XH50. Then we returned to 5g8 with a poor first landing. So we went back up to shoot our last landing. On downwind leg at 2000 ft at 90 KTS we turned base with a 500 FPM descent rate and at 85-90 KTS. Altimeter showing 16-1700 ft (airport elevation 1187 ft). I looked at airport to make sure pilot controled lighting was still on. Then I looked out in front of airplane to see trees. I immediately pulled up on the yoke to try to miss the tops of the trees I heard a thump, thinking the main wheels brushed over the treetops. The landing was normal, on postflt check we discovered damage to the leading edge of left wing near wingtip. Probable cause: 1) pilot fatigue. 2) traffic pattern altitude should be 2200 ft instead of 2000 ft. 3) instructors should never think that because a student has a private license and instrument rating that the flight will be uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 292018: I was almost ready to start turning final when I saw the trees in the landing light. I tried to think of what type of things contributed to the accident. One is that I was doing extended flying after putting in a long day at work. Past experience has shown that I am much more alert starting out on a sat morning than I am after a day at work. The other, which is related to the first, is that I may have become a bit complacent about the 'routine' approach phase of landing after 8 previous ones. I was concentrating more on airspeed and my final landing than I was on my current position and altitude. Both of these are mistakes that I will never make again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SINGLE ENG LAND STRUCK TREE DURING FINAL RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO ONE WING, LEADING EDGE ONLY.

Narrative: ACFT INSTRUCTIONAL FLT STARTS APPROX XG00. DEPARTING 5G8 FOR 7 NIGHT LNDGS AT 5G8 TO FAMILIARIZE STUDENT WITH AREA AND ARPT. THEN PROCEEDING TO LBE FOR 1 PRACTICE ILS APCH AND A FULL STOP LNDG AT LBE. WE REFUELED AT APPROX XH20 FOR 1/2 HR TO APPROX XH50. THEN WE RETURNED TO 5G8 WITH A POOR FIRST LNDG. SO WE WENT BACK UP TO SHOOT OUR LAST LNDG. ON DOWNWIND LEG AT 2000 FT AT 90 KTS WE TURNED BASE WITH A 500 FPM DSCNT RATE AND AT 85-90 KTS. ALTIMETER SHOWING 16-1700 FT (ARPT ELEVATION 1187 FT). I LOOKED AT ARPT TO MAKE SURE PLT CTLED LIGHTING WAS STILL ON. THEN I LOOKED OUT IN FRONT OF AIRPLANE TO SEE TREES. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED UP ON THE YOKE TO TRY TO MISS THE TOPS OF THE TREES I HEARD A THUMP, THINKING THE MAIN WHEELS BRUSHED OVER THE TREETOPS. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL, ON POSTFLT CHK WE DISCOVERED DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF L WING NEAR WINGTIP. PROBABLE CAUSE: 1) PLT FATIGUE. 2) TFC PATTERN ALT SHOULD BE 2200 FT INSTEAD OF 2000 FT. 3) INSTRUCTORS SHOULD NEVER THINK THAT BECAUSE A STUDENT HAS A PVT LICENSE AND INST RATING THAT THE FLT WILL BE UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 292018: I WAS ALMOST READY TO START TURNING FINAL WHEN I SAW THE TREES IN THE LNDG LIGHT. I TRIED TO THINK OF WHAT TYPE OF THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. ONE IS THAT I WAS DOING EXTENDED FLYING AFTER PUTTING IN A LONG DAY AT WORK. PAST EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT I AM MUCH MORE ALERT STARTING OUT ON A SAT MORNING THAN I AM AFTER A DAY AT WORK. THE OTHER, WHICH IS RELATED TO THE FIRST, IS THAT I MAY HAVE BECOME A BIT COMPLACENT ABOUT THE 'ROUTINE' APCH PHASE OF LNDG AFTER 8 PREVIOUS ONES. I WAS CONCENTRATING MORE ON AIRSPD AND MY FINAL LNDG THAN I WAS ON MY CURRENT POS AND ALT. BOTH OF THESE ARE MISTAKES THAT I WILL NEVER MAKE AGAIN.

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.