Low on final approach, hit tree, but damage found after landing.

Attributes
ACN	328945
Time
Date	199602
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : m99
State Reference	AR
Altitude	agl bound lower : 380 agl bound upper : 380
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 125
ASRS Report	328945
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Night approach runway 17 saline county airport. All normal, lost instrument lights, reach for flashlight. Look at runway, appear low. Increase power to reintercept glide path. All normal, still low. See tree damage (after landing). Landing 'picture' stayed good but low. Attention focused on new sign (in glide path) without red light (should be marked or moved). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during approach, at night, reporter's panel lights went out. When reporter reached for a flashlight, the aircraft went into a slip and lost altitude. Realizing he was low, he added power to climb back to glide path, but clipped a tree. The tree was in someone's backyard who called the police, who in turn notified the FAA local FSDO. The FAA required reporter to take 2 hours of night flight training. Reporter complained of a distracting sign on final approach, but says it is in a legal spot, as pertaining to the airport approach corridor. However, reporter claims that the airport auths are attempting to have it removed. Reporter says that when he realized he was low on the approach, he thought that if he missed hitting the sign he would be ok.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ON FINAL APCH, HIT TREE, BUT DAMAGE FOUND AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: NIGHT APCH RWY 17 SALINE COUNTY ARPT. ALL NORMAL, LOST INST LIGHTS, REACH FOR FLASHLIGHT. LOOK AT RWY, APPEAR LOW. INCREASE PWR TO REINTERCEPT GLIDE PATH. ALL NORMAL, STILL LOW. SEE TREE DAMAGE (AFTER LNDG). LNDG 'PICTURE' STAYED GOOD BUT LOW. ATTN FOCUSED ON NEW SIGN (IN GLIDE PATH) WITHOUT RED LIGHT (SHOULD BE MARKED OR MOVED). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING APCH, AT NIGHT, RPTR'S PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT. WHEN RPTR REACHED FOR A FLASHLIGHT, THE ACFT WENT INTO A SLIP AND LOST ALT. REALIZING HE WAS LOW, HE ADDED PWR TO CLB BACK TO GLIDE PATH, BUT CLIPPED A TREE. THE TREE WAS IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD WHO CALLED THE POLICE, WHO IN TURN NOTIFIED THE FAA LCL FSDO. THE FAA REQUIRED RPTR TO TAKE 2 HRS OF NIGHT FLT TRAINING. RPTR COMPLAINED OF A DISTRACTING SIGN ON FINAL APCH, BUT SAYS IT IS IN A LEGAL SPOT, AS PERTAINING TO THE ARPT APCH CORRIDOR. HOWEVER, RPTR CLAIMS THAT THE ARPT AUTHS ARE ATTEMPTING TO HAVE IT REMOVED. RPTR SAYS THAT WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS LOW ON THE APCH, HE THOUGHT THAT IF HE MISSED HITTING THE SIGN HE WOULD BE OK.

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.