Narrative:

The aircraft had just been released from maintenance; including 91.411 and 91.413. The standby altimeter checked out bad and was replaced. A tropical storm had put a low on top of our destination. I began checking WX in the general area around XA00 through duats and radar on the internet. Around XE00 I received a full briefing from FSS (while observing radar on the internet). I decided to wait several hours to see if the reported storms would dissipate from the area. I called FSS back around XH30. Received an updated briefing. Storms were dissipating and it looked like several holes were opening up to make it past a line of storms. WX at destination of ZZZ was reported at 1300 ft overcast and 2 mi. No NOTAMS were reported. Upon arrival at ZZZ; it was around XL10. There was a piper chieftain ahead of us in the queue for the ILS at ZZZ. WX from ASOS was reported at 1200 ft overcast. Approach advised the chieftain that the GS was out and the remote was out as well and that he would have to cancel on the ground with FSS. The chieftain radioed us 5 mins later to ask us to report to ATC he was on the ground and he was canceling IFR. We complied. ATC cleared us for the ILS and advised the GS was OTS. I began the approach lined up with the localizer. I went through 1200 ft and to 1100 ft noting that I should have broken out at 1200 ft. At 1100 ft I noted a discrepancy between the standby altimeter and the primary altimeter of around 50 ft. I looked up from the instruments looking to see the lights for the runway. I saw glimpses of the lights and immediately also saw tree branches. I immediately added full power; began climbing to execute missed approach. As I began climbing; I heard tree branches strike the aircraft. I advised ATC I would like to execute the ILS at ZZZ2. We were cleared for the approach; and executed the landing without further incident. Upon investigation of the aircraft on the ground; I observed light damage to the main landing gear fairing in that the paint had been removed and some fiberglass/carbon fiber was exposed. Factors which led to the incident: a difference between reported ceiling and actual ceiling. An apparently quickly lowering ceiling; as the chieftain made it in; but I just caught glimpses of the lights. GS inoperative. Potentially different reading on the 2 altimeters. Although I have received official training in the columbia and on the primary system; the difference between the standard VOR/ILS gauge and the primary system is significant; which potentially resulted in a higher workload; which potentially resulted in a slower scan or slower assimilation and gathering of all the data points required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COLUMBIA 350 PLT STRIKES TREE TOPS WHILE PERFORMING A NON PRECISION APCH. PERFORMS GAR AND DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM MAINT; INCLUDING 91.411 AND 91.413. THE STANDBY ALTIMETER CHKED OUT BAD AND WAS REPLACED. A TROPICAL STORM HAD PUT A LOW ON TOP OF OUR DEST. I BEGAN CHKING WX IN THE GENERAL AREA AROUND XA00 THROUGH DUATS AND RADAR ON THE INTERNET. AROUND XE00 I RECEIVED A FULL BRIEFING FROM FSS (WHILE OBSERVING RADAR ON THE INTERNET). I DECIDED TO WAIT SEVERAL HRS TO SEE IF THE RPTED STORMS WOULD DISSIPATE FROM THE AREA. I CALLED FSS BACK AROUND XH30. RECEIVED AN UPDATED BRIEFING. STORMS WERE DISSIPATING AND IT LOOKED LIKE SEVERAL HOLES WERE OPENING UP TO MAKE IT PAST A LINE OF STORMS. WX AT DEST OF ZZZ WAS RPTED AT 1300 FT OVCST AND 2 MI. NO NOTAMS WERE RPTED. UPON ARR AT ZZZ; IT WAS AROUND XL10. THERE WAS A PIPER CHIEFTAIN AHEAD OF US IN THE QUEUE FOR THE ILS AT ZZZ. WX FROM ASOS WAS RPTED AT 1200 FT OVCST. APCH ADVISED THE CHIEFTAIN THAT THE GS WAS OUT AND THE REMOTE WAS OUT AS WELL AND THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CANCEL ON THE GND WITH FSS. THE CHIEFTAIN RADIOED US 5 MINS LATER TO ASK US TO RPT TO ATC HE WAS ON THE GND AND HE WAS CANCELING IFR. WE COMPLIED. ATC CLRED US FOR THE ILS AND ADVISED THE GS WAS OTS. I BEGAN THE APCH LINED UP WITH THE LOC. I WENT THROUGH 1200 FT AND TO 1100 FT NOTING THAT I SHOULD HAVE BROKEN OUT AT 1200 FT. AT 1100 FT I NOTED A DISCREPANCY BTWN THE STANDBY ALTIMETER AND THE PRIMARY ALTIMETER OF AROUND 50 FT. I LOOKED UP FROM THE INSTS LOOKING TO SEE THE LIGHTS FOR THE RWY. I SAW GLIMPSES OF THE LIGHTS AND IMMEDIATELY ALSO SAW TREE BRANCHES. I IMMEDIATELY ADDED FULL PWR; BEGAN CLBING TO EXECUTE MISSED APCH. AS I BEGAN CLBING; I HEARD TREE BRANCHES STRIKE THE ACFT. I ADVISED ATC I WOULD LIKE TO EXECUTE THE ILS AT ZZZ2. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH; AND EXECUTED THE LNDG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE ACFT ON THE GND; I OBSERVED LIGHT DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LNDG GEAR FAIRING IN THAT THE PAINT HAD BEEN REMOVED AND SOME FIBERGLASS/CARBON FIBER WAS EXPOSED. FACTORS WHICH LED TO THE INCIDENT: A DIFFERENCE BTWN RPTED CEILING AND ACTUAL CEILING. AN APPARENTLY QUICKLY LOWERING CEILING; AS THE CHIEFTAIN MADE IT IN; BUT I JUST CAUGHT GLIMPSES OF THE LIGHTS. GS INOP. POTENTIALLY DIFFERENT READING ON THE 2 ALTIMETERS. ALTHOUGH I HAVE RECEIVED OFFICIAL TRAINING IN THE COLUMBIA AND ON THE PRIMARY SYS; THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE STANDARD VOR/ILS GAUGE AND THE PRIMARY SYS IS SIGNIFICANT; WHICH POTENTIALLY RESULTED IN A HIGHER WORKLOAD; WHICH POTENTIALLY RESULTED IN A SLOWER SCAN OR SLOWER ASSIMILATION AND GATHERING OF ALL THE DATA POINTS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.