Narrative:

I was on the NDB-a approach into la grande, or, airport on jan/sat/95 at approximately XX20 in the morning. While on the approach I felt I wasn't getting a good true reading on the ADF needle. The needle was intermittent and swaying back and forth, while listening to the morse code it was scratchy and very hard to hear. After crossing the NDB inbound I began my descent down to the MDA (4000 ft). I was in the clear until about 4500 ft when I entered a layer of fog. Knowing I wasn't getting a good clear indication of where my NDB was, I decided to shorten my approach time. I was only in the fog layer approximately 30 seconds when I decided to take 1 last look straight down. At the same time I did this I felt a tree clip the bottom of my airplane. I immediately shot the missed approach procedure and picked up a clearance from ZSE to baker city, where I landed without incident. There were no injuries and not a terrible amount of damage to the aircraft. I found out a couple of days later from a pilot from our company that they have been doing work on the NDB during the week without putting out NOTAMS. We are in the process of finding this out for sure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated at no time did he descend below 4000 ft. Reporter stated he had reported the incident to FAA FSDO and the incident is under investigation

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT IN IMC HIT TREE WHILE ON NDB APCH AND EXECUTED MISSED APCH. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE NDB-A APCH INTO LA GRANDE, OR, ARPT ON JAN/SAT/95 AT APPROX XX20 IN THE MORNING. WHILE ON THE APCH I FELT I WASN'T GETTING A GOOD TRUE READING ON THE ADF NEEDLE. THE NEEDLE WAS INTERMITTENT AND SWAYING BACK AND FORTH, WHILE LISTENING TO THE MORSE CODE IT WAS SCRATCHY AND VERY HARD TO HEAR. AFTER XING THE NDB INBOUND I BEGAN MY DSCNT DOWN TO THE MDA (4000 FT). I WAS IN THE CLR UNTIL ABOUT 4500 FT WHEN I ENTERED A LAYER OF FOG. KNOWING I WASN'T GETTING A GOOD CLR INDICATION OF WHERE MY NDB WAS, I DECIDED TO SHORTEN MY APCH TIME. I WAS ONLY IN THE FOG LAYER APPROX 30 SECONDS WHEN I DECIDED TO TAKE 1 LAST LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN. AT THE SAME TIME I DID THIS I FELT A TREE CLIP THE BOTTOM OF MY AIRPLANE. I IMMEDIATELY SHOT THE MISSED APCH PROC AND PICKED UP A CLRNC FROM ZSE TO BAKER CITY, WHERE I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NOT A TERRIBLE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I FOUND OUT A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER FROM A PLT FROM OUR COMPANY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING WORK ON THE NDB DURING THE WK WITHOUT PUTTING OUT NOTAMS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING THIS OUT FOR SURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED AT NO TIME DID HE DSND BELOW 4000 FT. RPTR STATED HE HAD RPTED THE INCIDENT TO FAA FSDO AND THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION

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.