A pilot contacts a vehicle while landing resulting in aircraft damage.

Attributes
ACN	615297
Time
Date	200404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1400
ASRS Report	615297
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While landing at ZZZ, my right wingtip struck a road grader which was on the edge of the runway. The aircraft veered hard off the runway onto the grass. I concentrated hard on keeping the nose of the aircraft up to avoid a propeller strike. I brought the aircraft to a stop and exited the aircraft. No one was injured in the incident. The road grader had been operating in the vicinity for several days so I was accustomed to seeing it and was not alarmed by its presence on the airport near the runway. There were other aircraft landing and taking off. Because the field is short with tall trees surrounding it, I was concentrating on making a short field, full stall landing. I did not notice that the road grader was a hazard until I was only 2 car lengths away from it. Although I took evasive action, I was unable to completely avoid the road grader. Factors contributing were the tall trees surrounding a short field. To prevent a recurrence, I would suggest making a low pass over the runway. This would warn the road grader operator that an aircraft was landing and would allow me to ensure that the runway was clear of obstructions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT CONTACTS A VEHICLE WHILE LNDG RESULTING IN ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE LNDG AT ZZZ, MY R WINGTIP STRUCK A ROAD GRADER WHICH WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT VEERED HARD OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. I CONCENTRATED HARD ON KEEPING THE NOSE OF THE ACFT UP TO AVOID A PROP STRIKE. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP AND EXITED THE ACFT. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE INCIDENT. THE ROAD GRADER HAD BEEN OPERATING IN THE VICINITY FOR SEVERAL DAYS SO I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING IT AND WAS NOT ALARMED BY ITS PRESENCE ON THE ARPT NEAR THE RWY. THERE WERE OTHER ACFT LNDG AND TAKING OFF. BECAUSE THE FIELD IS SHORT WITH TALL TREES SURROUNDING IT, I WAS CONCENTRATING ON MAKING A SHORT FIELD, FULL STALL LNDG. I DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE ROAD GRADER WAS A HAZARD UNTIL I WAS ONLY 2 CAR LENGTHS AWAY FROM IT. ALTHOUGH I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION, I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETELY AVOID THE ROAD GRADER. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING WERE THE TALL TREES SURROUNDING A SHORT FIELD. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE, I WOULD SUGGEST MAKING A LOW PASS OVER THE RWY. THIS WOULD WARN THE ROAD GRADER OPERATOR THAT AN ACFT WAS LNDG AND WOULD ALLOW ME TO ENSURE THAT THE RWY WAS CLR OF OBSTRUCTIONS.

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.