Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from alb to cdw with teterboro as an alternate airport. Ny approach cleared me for the localizer 22 into cdw. After the OM I started turning and descended to MDA of 800'. At 800' and 3 mins, 10 seconds, I broke out of the clouds and both my husband and I positively idented the runway lights. At this point I started my descent for landing. Reaching an altitude little over 600' MSL, we both realized that the lights were not the runway lights. At this time, I initiated a missed approach with full power and retracted the flaps. At the same moment the aircraft hit the top of a tree. I confirmed this incident to ny approach 127.6 and was vectored to teterboro. During a first low flight over the runway the emergency crew verified if the gear was in place. I was then vectored for 30 mins until being cleared for the ILS approach teterboro. Nobody was injured or hurt when the flight terminated safely at teterboro. The aircraft has no structural damage as reported by me. It should be noted that cdw tower leaves the runway lights for 4-22 on low intensity regardless of WX or visibility. Since there are no REIL positive identify is difficult for all. The FAA has closed their investigation and told me that I could not have seen the airport and was not allowed to descend from MDA. I saw the runway and everybody knows that ATIS is reported only every hour and WX changes in an hour. On the localizer 22 approach 300' security is not provided between MDA and ground. The tree I hit was on a hill of 543' plus the tree, 90' high. A 543' + 90' = 630', and MDA 800 is the 300' clearance. The FAA did not try to find out what happened, never checked the altimeter or static system of the aircraft and just based their decision on an old reported WX. Flight standards should double check if localizer 22 into cdw respects the altitude minimums over obstacles. Cdw has no runway identify lights and is located in the middle of the suburbs of ny. All night the airport is hard to find. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter was not willing to let FAA close case west/O further determination of actual ground clearance on the approach. FAA says minimum of 300' clearance is provided at MDA. Reporter strongly believes this is not the case at cdw, and has asked for a check by FAA. Reporter is being required to take a competency check to prove that she can fly an approach, even though she flew 2 right after the incident. No real damage to aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT STRUCK TREE ON LOCALIZER APCH AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM ALB TO CDW WITH TETERBORO AS AN ALTERNATE ARPT. NY APCH CLRED ME FOR THE LOC 22 INTO CDW. AFTER THE OM I STARTED TURNING AND DSNDED TO MDA OF 800'. AT 800' AND 3 MINS, 10 SECS, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I POSITIVELY IDENTED THE RWY LIGHTS. AT THIS POINT I STARTED MY DSCNT FOR LNDG. REACHING AN ALT LITTLE OVER 600' MSL, WE BOTH REALIZED THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT THE RWY LIGHTS. AT THIS TIME, I INITIATED A MISSED APCH WITH FULL PWR AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. AT THE SAME MOMENT THE ACFT HIT THE TOP OF A TREE. I CONFIRMED THIS INCIDENT TO NY APCH 127.6 AND WAS VECTORED TO TETERBORO. DURING A FIRST LOW FLT OVER THE RWY THE EMER CREW VERIFIED IF THE GEAR WAS IN PLACE. I WAS THEN VECTORED FOR 30 MINS UNTIL BEING CLRED FOR THE ILS APCH TETERBORO. NOBODY WAS INJURED OR HURT WHEN THE FLT TERMINATED SAFELY AT TETERBORO. THE ACFT HAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS RPTED BY ME. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT CDW TWR LEAVES THE RWY LIGHTS FOR 4-22 ON LOW INTENSITY REGARDLESS OF WX OR VIS. SINCE THERE ARE NO REIL POSITIVE IDENT IS DIFFICULT FOR ALL. THE FAA HAS CLOSED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD NOT HAVE SEEN THE ARPT AND WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DSND FROM MDA. I SAW THE RWY AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ATIS IS RPTED ONLY EVERY HR AND WX CHANGES IN AN HR. ON THE LOC 22 APCH 300' SECURITY IS NOT PROVIDED BTWN MDA AND GND. THE TREE I HIT WAS ON A HILL OF 543' PLUS THE TREE, 90' HIGH. A 543' + 90' = 630', AND MDA 800 IS THE 300' CLRNC. THE FAA DID NOT TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED, NEVER CHKED THE ALTIMETER OR STATIC SYS OF THE ACFT AND JUST BASED THEIR DECISION ON AN OLD RPTED WX. FLT STANDARDS SHOULD DOUBLE CHK IF LOC 22 INTO CDW RESPECTS THE ALT MINIMUMS OVER OBSTACLES. CDW HAS NO RWY IDENT LIGHTS AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUBURBS OF NY. ALL NIGHT THE ARPT IS HARD TO FIND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WAS NOT WILLING TO LET FAA CLOSE CASE W/O FURTHER DETERMINATION OF ACTUAL GND CLRNC ON THE APCH. FAA SAYS MINIMUM OF 300' CLRNC IS PROVIDED AT MDA. RPTR STRONGLY BELIEVES THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT CDW, AND HAS ASKED FOR A CHK BY FAA. RPTR IS BEING REQUIRED TO TAKE A COMPETENCY CHK TO PROVE THAT SHE CAN FLY AN APCH, EVEN THOUGH SHE FLEW 2 RIGHT AFTER THE INCIDENT. NO REAL DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.