Narrative:

I left the flight school to practice solo touch-and-go lndgs at bhm airport. I took off on runway 23 and was told to make a right hand turn to enter the downwind leg for runway 18. I did 1 touch-and-go to runway 18. While I was on my downwind leg the tower told me to 'tighten it up.' I turned back toward the airport to tighten it up for them and did another touch- and-go. On my crosswind leg the tower asked me if I understood what they meant by 'tighten it up.' I said that I did they then said 'runway 18, cleared to land.' this stressed me out because they usually cleared me for the option or a touch-and-go. I thought that they were not going to let me do any more touch-and-go lndgs because I had done something wrong. While I was on final approach to runway 18 they said 'cleared to land on runway 23 and after landing ground control will give you a telephone number to call the tower supervisor.' runway 23 is the runway that is the most convenient to the flying school ramp so I didn't know why they were bringing me in. While I was still on final for runway 18, I noticed that I was getting low and pwred up. I then heard a noise that I didn't like. I couldn't see over the nose of the airplane to tell what had happened. I gained some altitude and made a left turn to set up for an approach for runway 23, landed and taxied to the ramp. The next day I learned from the chief flight instructor at the flight school that I had brushed the top of a tree. Contributing factors were landing on an unfamiliar runway with high terrain on the final approach with a displaced threshold that I had never landed on before and the stress of wondering why the tower was sending me back to the flight school. I should have flown my airplane first and remembered the old saying 'aviate, navigation, and communication.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI FLUSTERED BY ATC INSTRUCTIONS CLIPS TOP OF TREE ON APCH.

Narrative: I LEFT THE FLT SCHOOL TO PRACTICE SOLO TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS AT BHM ARPT. I TOOK OFF ON RWY 23 AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A R HAND TURN TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 18. I DID 1 TOUCH-AND-GO TO RWY 18. WHILE I WAS ON MY DOWNWIND LEG THE TWR TOLD ME TO 'TIGHTEN IT UP.' I TURNED BACK TOWARD THE ARPT TO TIGHTEN IT UP FOR THEM AND DID ANOTHER TOUCH- AND-GO. ON MY XWIND LEG THE TWR ASKED ME IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY MEANT BY 'TIGHTEN IT UP.' I SAID THAT I DID THEY THEN SAID 'RWY 18, CLRED TO LAND.' THIS STRESSED ME OUT BECAUSE THEY USUALLY CLRED ME FOR THE OPTION OR A TOUCH-AND-GO. I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO LET ME DO ANY MORE TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS BECAUSE I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG. WHILE I WAS ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 18 THEY SAID 'CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 23 AND AFTER LNDG GND CTL WILL GIVE YOU A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL THE TWR SUPVR.' RWY 23 IS THE RWY THAT IS THE MOST CONVENIENT TO THE FLYING SCHOOL RAMP SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHY THEY WERE BRINGING ME IN. WHILE I WAS STILL ON FINAL FOR RWY 18, I NOTICED THAT I WAS GETTING LOW AND PWRED UP. I THEN HEARD A NOISE THAT I DIDN'T LIKE. I COULDN'T SEE OVER THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO TELL WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I GAINED SOME ALT AND MADE A L TURN TO SET UP FOR AN APCH FOR RWY 23, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THE NEXT DAY I LEARNED FROM THE CHIEF FLT INSTRUCTOR AT THE FLT SCHOOL THAT I HAD BRUSHED THE TOP OF A TREE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LNDG ON AN UNFAMILIAR RWY WITH HIGH TERRAIN ON THE FINAL APCH WITH A DISPLACED THRESHOLD THAT I HAD NEVER LANDED ON BEFORE AND THE STRESS OF WONDERING WHY THE TWR WAS SENDING ME BACK TO THE FLT SCHOOL. I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN MY AIRPLANE FIRST AND REMEMBERED THE OLD SAYING 'AVIATE, NAV, AND COM.'

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.