Narrative:

Conducting published circling approach to I67. Had previously missed approach due to moderate rain shower that obscured airport, otherwise flight visibility was approximately 2 mi. Climb out and vectors took aircraft through moderate rain shower with light turbulence. Deicing system working normally. Heavy overcast made objects on ground very monotone with little depth. Wind locally had been reported by luk and cvg from northeast approximately 15 KTS with some gusts, ceilings 800 ft to 1100 ft. Second approach took more correction to east to maintain track than did first approach (10 degrees or so). Located airport at approximately 1/2 mi north of field and approximately 1/8 mi to east. Using 10 degrees approach flaps since FAF and decided not to use full flaps during final phase while on downwind. Aircraft seemed modestly sluggish and a little different on pitch. Previously cycled boots prior to starting 2ND approach but noticed seemingly little flight control response changes. Turned southwesterly to gain some distance from runway so as not to have a tight turn from downwind to base to final. Continuous light chop in pattern, final approach takes flight over gravel pit that leads to within 300 ft of runway threshold. Reports from advisory did not mention ice, but freezing rain was reported north of area. With reduced flap setting and attempt to land with as little excess speed as possible, but compensate for ice, I used 105 KIAS. Prior to reaching edge of gravel pit, it seemed that the descent rate increased momentarily and aircraft landing gear contacted fence. Aircraft was landed without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was PA31 and damage was scraped gear doors and some actual gear damage. He states this was a 'conspiracy of bad events.' this was a very localized phenomenon of WX. 12 mi away there was no icing and much less wind. The depth perception was very poor and WX gave everything a very flat appearance. To make a circling approach in these conditions was very bad. The position of the gravel pit just prior to runway threshold added to the problem. The ice buildup was rapid and it was clear ice so pilot was not as aware of the amount of buildup. The aircraft had acquired quite a load of clear ice. It never formed on the windshield, but on the nose surfaces and leading edges. Even with the deicing equipment, it formed over the wing spar. Reporter states he has learned that one missed approach will send him to an alternate in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER PLT OF PA31 HITS FENCE AROUND GRAVEL PIT ON APCH DUE TO ICING AND POOR JUDGEMENT OF HEIGHT ABOVE TERRAIN.

Narrative: CONDUCTING PUBLISHED CIRCLING APCH TO I67. HAD PREVIOUSLY MISSED APCH DUE TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWER THAT OBSCURED ARPT, OTHERWISE FLT VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 2 MI. CLBOUT AND VECTORS TOOK ACFT THROUGH MODERATE RAIN SHOWER WITH LIGHT TURB. DEICING SYS WORKING NORMALLY. HVY OVCST MADE OBJECTS ON GND VERY MONOTONE WITH LITTLE DEPTH. WIND LOCALLY HAD BEEN RPTED BY LUK AND CVG FROM NE APPROX 15 KTS WITH SOME GUSTS, CEILINGS 800 FT TO 1100 FT. SECOND APCH TOOK MORE CORRECTION TO E TO MAINTAIN TRACK THAN DID FIRST APCH (10 DEGS OR SO). LOCATED ARPT AT APPROX 1/2 MI N OF FIELD AND APPROX 1/8 MI TO E. USING 10 DEGS APCH FLAPS SINCE FAF AND DECIDED NOT TO USE FULL FLAPS DURING FINAL PHASE WHILE ON DOWNWIND. ACFT SEEMED MODESTLY SLUGGISH AND A LITTLE DIFFERENT ON PITCH. PREVIOUSLY CYCLED BOOTS PRIOR TO STARTING 2ND APCH BUT NOTICED SEEMINGLY LITTLE FLT CTL RESPONSE CHANGES. TURNED SOUTHWESTERLY TO GAIN SOME DISTANCE FROM RWY SO AS NOT TO HAVE A TIGHT TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE TO FINAL. CONTINUOUS LIGHT CHOP IN PATTERN, FINAL APCH TAKES FLT OVER GRAVEL PIT THAT LEADS TO WITHIN 300 FT OF RWY THRESHOLD. RPTS FROM ADVISORY DID NOT MENTION ICE, BUT FREEZING RAIN WAS RPTED N OF AREA. WITH REDUCED FLAP SETTING AND ATTEMPT TO LAND WITH AS LITTLE EXCESS SPD AS POSSIBLE, BUT COMPENSATE FOR ICE, I USED 105 KIAS. PRIOR TO REACHING EDGE OF GRAVEL PIT, IT SEEMED THAT THE DSCNT RATE INCREASED MOMENTARILY AND ACFT LNDG GEAR CONTACTED FENCE. ACFT WAS LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS PA31 AND DAMAGE WAS SCRAPED GEAR DOORS AND SOME ACTUAL GEAR DAMAGE. HE STATES THIS WAS A 'CONSPIRACY OF BAD EVENTS.' THIS WAS A VERY LOCALIZED PHENOMENON OF WX. 12 MI AWAY THERE WAS NO ICING AND MUCH LESS WIND. THE DEPTH PERCEPTION WAS VERY POOR AND WX GAVE EVERYTHING A VERY FLAT APPEARANCE. TO MAKE A CIRCLING APCH IN THESE CONDITIONS WAS VERY BAD. THE POS OF THE GRAVEL PIT JUST PRIOR TO RWY THRESHOLD ADDED TO THE PROB. THE ICE BUILDUP WAS RAPID AND IT WAS CLR ICE SO PLT WAS NOT AS AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF BUILDUP. THE ACFT HAD ACQUIRED QUITE A LOAD OF CLR ICE. IT NEVER FORMED ON THE WINDSHIELD, BUT ON THE NOSE SURFACES AND LEADING EDGES. EVEN WITH THE DEICING EQUIP, IT FORMED OVER THE WING SPAR. RPTR STATES HE HAS LEARNED THAT ONE MISSED APCH WILL SEND HIM TO AN ALTERNATE IN THE FUTURE.

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.