Narrative:

Cancelled IFR with bwi. VFR approach to W18 (suburban). Probable 4 degree approach into airport with PAPI. Clipped top of trees on night approach. Left gear down, called ZZZ tower. Vectored to runway xxr and landed without further incident. Damage to aircraft necessitated ferry permit to repair station. Trees on approach end of runway should be removed or trimmed. Check PAPI and increase length of 'displaced threshold.' supplemental information from acn 534443: I live in baltimore and was visiting family in nj for the holidays. My father had picked me up in his baron BE58 on dec wed. We were planning on returning to suburban airport (W18) on dec, fri. Unfortunately, I was called out on a training flight by my employer, a major us air carrier, for that day so we had to leave thurs night. After visually sighting the airport, we cancelled IFR with baltimore approach and circled W18 to see which runway the winds were favoring. It appeared to be a crosswind, so we elected to land upslope on runway 21. I maneuvered the aircraft into what appeared to be a standard 3 degree glideslope. As it was my first time landing at W18 and at night, I did not realize how high the trees were. After hearing the 'thunk' of a treetop impacting the aircraft, I executed a go around, and proceeded to land at ZZZ for precautionary measures. The landing at ZZZ was without incident, and after parking, we saw damage to the right wing and nose cone (dents and broken strobe light). In retrospect, no amount of experience can be substituted for preparation. One daylight approach for a 'picture,' would have been worth a thousand hours or more. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot in command is a captain for a major us air carrier. He was flying a BE58. This reporter was operating as first officer, handling radios. He reports that runway 21 has REIL lights at the runway end, they were interfering with the ability to see the PAPI. The PAPI lights were dim and indistinct. It was very difficult, if not impossible, to tell whether you were low or not. The pilots were not aware that a very steep approach angle was required for obstacle clearance. He stated the runway looked short and they appeared to be dangerously high on the approach, for such a short runway. He further states the approach end of the runway is a 'black hole' and no situational awareness from it was possible. Pilot thinks trees should be removed or trimmed and the PAPI light intensity increased until it can be clearly seen. Pilots also recommend obstruction lights be installed at both ends of the runway. Reporter indicated that in years past there was a previous fatality at this airport. The pilot in that accident flew into the trees while making a night approach. The PIC indicated that this was his first entry to W18. The first officer landed at the airport the day before in daylight. Neither pilot used or consulted any type of airport information chart. After the go around the first officer told the approach controller they may have hit trees. When they arrived at the airport the next day, the FAA was already inspecting the aircraft. Both pilots have been debriefed by FSDO inspectors.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 PLT HIT TREES WHILE FLYING THE PAPI ON APCH TO RWY 21 INTO W18, AT NIGHT.

Narrative: CANCELLED IFR WITH BWI. VFR APCH TO W18 (SUBURBAN). PROBABLE 4 DEG APCH INTO ARPT WITH PAPI. CLIPPED TOP OF TREES ON NIGHT APCH. L GEAR DOWN, CALLED ZZZ TWR. VECTORED TO RWY XXR AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DAMAGE TO ACFT NECESSITATED FERRY PERMIT TO REPAIR STATION. TREES ON APCH END OF RWY SHOULD BE REMOVED OR TRIMMED. CHK PAPI AND INCREASE LENGTH OF 'DISPLACED THRESHOLD.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534443: I LIVE IN BALTIMORE AND WAS VISITING FAMILY IN NJ FOR THE HOLIDAYS. MY FATHER HAD PICKED ME UP IN HIS BARON BE58 ON DEC WED. WE WERE PLANNING ON RETURNING TO SUBURBAN ARPT (W18) ON DEC, FRI. UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS CALLED OUT ON A TRAINING FLT BY MY EMPLOYER, A MAJOR US ACR, FOR THAT DAY SO WE HAD TO LEAVE THURS NIGHT. AFTER VISUALLY SIGHTING THE ARPT, WE CANCELLED IFR WITH BALTIMORE APCH AND CIRCLED W18 TO SEE WHICH RWY THE WINDS WERE FAVORING. IT APPEARED TO BE A XWIND, SO WE ELECTED TO LAND UPSLOPE ON RWY 21. I MANEUVERED THE ACFT INTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A STANDARD 3 DEG GLIDESLOPE. AS IT WAS MY FIRST TIME LANDING AT W18 AND AT NIGHT, I DID NOT REALIZE HOW HIGH THE TREES WERE. AFTER HEARING THE 'THUNK' OF A TREETOP IMPACTING THE ACFT, I EXECUTED A GAR, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AT ZZZ FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. THE LNDG AT ZZZ WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND AFTER PARKING, WE SAW DAMAGE TO THE R WING AND NOSE CONE (DENTS AND BROKEN STROBE LIGHT). IN RETROSPECT, NO AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR PREPARATION. ONE DAYLIGHT APCH FOR A 'PICTURE,' WOULD HAVE BEEN WORTH A THOUSAND HRS OR MORE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT IN COMMAND IS A CAPT FOR A MAJOR US ACR. HE WAS FLYING A BE58. THIS RPTR WAS OPERATING AS FO, HANDLING RADIOS. HE RPTS THAT RWY 21 HAS REIL LIGHTS AT THE RWY END, THEY WERE INTERFERING WITH THE ABILITY TO SEE THE PAPI. THE PAPI LIGHTS WERE DIM AND INDISTINCT. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, TO TELL WHETHER YOU WERE LOW OR NOT. THE PLTS WERE NOT AWARE THAT A VERY STEEP APCH ANGLE WAS REQUIRED FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC. HE STATED THE RWY LOOKED SHORT AND THEY APPEARED TO BE DANGEROUSLY HIGH ON THE APCH, FOR SUCH A SHORT RWY. HE FURTHER STATES THE APCH END OF THE RWY IS A 'BLACK HOLE' AND NO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FROM IT WAS POSSIBLE. PLT THINKS TREES SHOULD BE REMOVED OR TRIMMED AND THE PAPI LIGHT INTENSITY INCREASED UNTIL IT CAN BE CLRLY SEEN. PLTS ALSO RECOMMEND OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS BE INSTALLED AT BOTH ENDS OF THE RWY. RPTR INDICATED THAT IN YEARS PAST THERE WAS A PREVIOUS FATALITY AT THIS ARPT. THE PLT IN THAT ACCIDENT FLEW INTO THE TREES WHILE MAKING A NIGHT APCH. THE PIC INDICATED THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST ENTRY TO W18. THE FO LANDED AT THE ARPT THE DAY BEFORE IN DAYLIGHT. NEITHER PLT USED OR CONSULTED ANY TYPE OF ARPT INFO CHART. AFTER THE GAR THE FO TOLD THE APCH CTLR THEY MAY HAVE HIT TREES. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE ARPT THE NEXT DAY, THE FAA WAS ALREADY INSPECTING THE ACFT. BOTH PLTS HAVE BEEN DEBRIEFED BY FSDO INSPECTORS.

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.