Narrative:

After obtaining a WX briefing and filing an IFR flight plan the flight departed cho en route to gai. Preflight WX briefing indicated turbulence below 8000 ft. Ceiling reported at iad as 2500 ft with winds out of the southeast at 7 KTS gusting to 20. Visibility was 8-10 mi. Baltimore reported VFR ceilings as well with winds out of the south to southeast 8-20 KTS and good visibility. The original clearance was direct luray and then to intercept the 259 degree radial of aml. Direct aml direct. After becoming airborne, because of turbulence encountered, I requested a change in routing to be kept clear of the mountains. A new clearance was granted direct csn radar vectors to gai at 6000 ft. The flight proceeded without incident with only light to moderate turbulence at that altitude. No ice was encountered. On arriving in the dulles area descent to 2000 ft was requested and granted. At that altitude the aircraft was still in the clouds and a climb to 4000 ft was made with a clearance direct to fdk. Initially a request for radar vectors to final was made but baltimore approach controller advised of the presence of a level 3 thunderstorm on the final approach course. The flight proceeded to the fdk VOR and was cleared for the VOR approach. The mandatory holding pattern was entered. A descent to 3000 ft was made in the holding pattern. The aircraft then proceeded toward the felix intersection on the fdk 155 degree radial and descended to 2300 ft when established on the final approach course. WX radar revealed light to moderate rain on the approach course but no returns were seen on the stormscope. There were very strong headwinds on the final approach course with turbulence and a ground speed at times as low as 45 KTS. After passing felix descent was made into VFR conditions at 1500 ft. The AWOS at that time reported ceilings of 1200 ft broken and 1500 ft overcast and very strong surface winds at 170 degrees with visibility of 4 mi. A slow descent was made as the airport was approached in VFR conditions. There was intermittent moderate turbulence. A sudden descent then occurred forcing the aircraft downward. A pull-up was initiated with power but the aircraft apparently contacted the top of a tree limb before the climb was accomplished. This was accompanied by a very brief brushing sound. After regaining altitude the approach was continued in VFR conditions and an uneventful landing was made on runway 14. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: FAA did investigatory follow-up and determined the event was a WX related incident and no further action. Damage included dings in the wings and radome but propeller and engine were undamaged. Reporter says that everyone has told him he was lucky.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT WX ENCOUNTER -- HIT TREE TOPS WITH MINOR DAMAGE.

Narrative: AFTER OBTAINING A WX BRIEFING AND FILING AN IFR FLT PLAN THE FLT DEPARTED CHO ENRTE TO GAI. PREFLT WX BRIEFING INDICATED TURB BELOW 8000 FT. CEILING RPTED AT IAD AS 2500 FT WITH WINDS OUT OF THE SE AT 7 KTS GUSTING TO 20. VISIBILITY WAS 8-10 MI. BALTIMORE RPTED VFR CEILINGS AS WELL WITH WINDS OUT OF THE S TO SE 8-20 KTS AND GOOD VISIBILITY. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS DIRECT LURAY AND THEN TO INTERCEPT THE 259 DEG RADIAL OF AML. DIRECT AML DIRECT. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, BECAUSE OF TURB ENCOUNTERED, I REQUESTED A CHANGE IN ROUTING TO BE KEPT CLR OF THE MOUNTAINS. A NEW CLRNC WAS GRANTED DIRECT CSN RADAR VECTORS TO GAI AT 6000 FT. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT WITH ONLY LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB AT THAT ALT. NO ICE WAS ENCOUNTERED. ON ARRIVING IN THE DULLES AREA DSCNT TO 2000 FT WAS REQUESTED AND GRANTED. AT THAT ALT THE ACFT WAS STILL IN THE CLOUDS AND A CLB TO 4000 FT WAS MADE WITH A CLRNC DIRECT TO FDK. INITIALLY A REQUEST FOR RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL WAS MADE BUT BALTIMORE APCH CTLR ADVISED OF THE PRESENCE OF A LEVEL 3 TSTM ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO THE FDK VOR AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VOR APCH. THE MANDATORY HOLDING PATTERN WAS ENTERED. A DSCNT TO 3000 FT WAS MADE IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. THE ACFT THEN PROCEEDED TOWARD THE FELIX INTXN ON THE FDK 155 DEG RADIAL AND DSNDED TO 2300 FT WHEN ESTABLISHED ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. WX RADAR REVEALED LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN ON THE APCH COURSE BUT NO RETURNS WERE SEEN ON THE STORMSCOPE. THERE WERE VERY STRONG HEADWINDS ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE WITH TURB AND A GND SPD AT TIMES AS LOW AS 45 KTS. AFTER PASSING FELIX DSCNT WAS MADE INTO VFR CONDITIONS AT 1500 FT. THE AWOS AT THAT TIME RPTED CEILINGS OF 1200 FT BROKEN AND 1500 FT OVCST AND VERY STRONG SURFACE WINDS AT 170 DEGS WITH VISIBILITY OF 4 MI. A SLOW DSCNT WAS MADE AS THE ARPT WAS APCHED IN VFR CONDITIONS. THERE WAS INTERMITTENT MODERATE TURB. A SUDDEN DSCNT THEN OCCURRED FORCING THE ACFT DOWNWARD. A PULL-UP WAS INITIATED WITH PWR BUT THE ACFT APPARENTLY CONTACTED THE TOP OF A TREE LIMB BEFORE THE CLB WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A VERY BRIEF BRUSHING SOUND. AFTER REGAINING ALT THE APCH WAS CONTINUED IN VFR CONDITIONS AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 14. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FAA DID INVESTIGATORY FOLLOW-UP AND DETERMINED THE EVENT WAS A WX RELATED INCIDENT AND NO FURTHER ACTION. DAMAGE INCLUDED DINGS IN THE WINGS AND RADOME BUT PROP AND ENG WERE UNDAMAGED. RPTR SAYS THAT EVERYONE HAS TOLD HIM HE WAS LUCKY.

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.