Narrative:

A stabilizer power-on approach was being made to runway 31 at 58N (reigle field; palmyra; PA). The wind was out of the nnw and gusting to 15 KTS. I was carrying approximately 10 extra KTS of airspeed in case of gusting. The runway is immediately adjacent to a road that runs perpendicular to the runway. There is no vertical guidance structures on the field. The road is downhill and immediately adjacent to a cornfield that had standing corn at an elevation of 6-7 ft. The road and the traffic on the road were not visible on the approach. The runway is downhill and immediately adjacent to the road. Approaching the runway; it was difficult to judge altitude; since the crop elevation gave the impression of higher ground. In order to land on the relatively short runway; it was necessary to fly closer to the top of the corn crop. As I crossed the road; a stake-body truck with tools carried vertically crossed my path. My left main tire impacted 3 lawn rakes that were being carried on the inboard side of the truck. The rakes were damaged. A normal landing was made; and I immediately went to the aid of the truck driver. She was unhurt and the truck was undamaged. I gave her my contact information and told her that I would pay for the damaged rakes. There was no impact damage to the aircraft other than a broken metal strap holding the pilot's step. The combination of the downslope approach; the proximity of the crop to the road; and the road to the runway makes judging this approach difficult; even in the daytime. While the crop is in the field from late summer until it is cut; the road and the traffic on the road cannot be seen at a low angle of approach. The runway is short and slopes uphill from the threshold. There is no vertical guidance at the runway. The threshold is displaced as a result; but there is no good way to judge the required approach angle to avoid getting too low on the approach. A night approach would be even more difficult and dangerous. It would be helpful if: 1) there was vertical guidance at the approach end of the runway. This is the most important change that could be made. 2) the corn crop did not hide the road and traffic. The crop should stop 50-100 ft from the edge of the road.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIGHT PLANE PLT ON APCH TO 58N STRUCK SOME TOOLS CARRIED IN A TRUCK THAT WAS TRAVELING ON A PERIMETER ROAD.

Narrative: A STABILIZER PWR-ON APCH WAS BEING MADE TO RWY 31 AT 58N (REIGLE FIELD; PALMYRA; PA). THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE NNW AND GUSTING TO 15 KTS. I WAS CARRYING APPROX 10 EXTRA KTS OF AIRSPD IN CASE OF GUSTING. THE RWY IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A ROAD THAT RUNS PERPENDICULAR TO THE RWY. THERE IS NO VERT GUIDANCE STRUCTURES ON THE FIELD. THE ROAD IS DOWNHILL AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A CORNFIELD THAT HAD STANDING CORN AT AN ELEVATION OF 6-7 FT. THE ROAD AND THE TFC ON THE ROAD WERE NOT VISIBLE ON THE APCH. THE RWY IS DOWNHILL AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE ROAD. APCHING THE RWY; IT WAS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE ALT; SINCE THE CROP ELEVATION GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF HIGHER GND. IN ORDER TO LAND ON THE RELATIVELY SHORT RWY; IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY CLOSER TO THE TOP OF THE CORN CROP. AS I CROSSED THE ROAD; A STAKE-BODY TRUCK WITH TOOLS CARRIED VERTICALLY CROSSED MY PATH. MY L MAIN TIRE IMPACTED 3 LAWN RAKES THAT WERE BEING CARRIED ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE TRUCK. THE RAKES WERE DAMAGED. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE; AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE AID OF THE TRUCK DRIVER. SHE WAS UNHURT AND THE TRUCK WAS UNDAMAGED. I GAVE HER MY CONTACT INFO AND TOLD HER THAT I WOULD PAY FOR THE DAMAGED RAKES. THERE WAS NO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OTHER THAN A BROKEN METAL STRAP HOLDING THE PLT'S STEP. THE COMBINATION OF THE DOWNSLOPE APCH; THE PROX OF THE CROP TO THE ROAD; AND THE ROAD TO THE RWY MAKES JUDGING THIS APCH DIFFICULT; EVEN IN THE DAYTIME. WHILE THE CROP IS IN THE FIELD FROM LATE SUMMER UNTIL IT IS CUT; THE ROAD AND THE TFC ON THE ROAD CANNOT BE SEEN AT A LOW ANGLE OF APCH. THE RWY IS SHORT AND SLOPES UPHILL FROM THE THRESHOLD. THERE IS NO VERTICAL GUIDANCE AT THE RWY. THE THRESHOLD IS DISPLACED AS A RESULT; BUT THERE IS NO GOOD WAY TO JUDGE THE REQUIRED APCH ANGLE TO AVOID GETTING TOO LOW ON THE APCH. A NIGHT APCH WOULD BE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF: 1) THERE WAS VERTICAL GUIDANCE AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE THAT COULD BE MADE. 2) THE CORN CROP DID NOT HIDE THE ROAD AND TFC. THE CROP SHOULD STOP 50-100 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE ROAD.

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.