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Small aircraft encounters turbulence, wind shear at 1000 ft from runway threshold. Hits trees at 70 ft AGL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 209383 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199205 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : n73 |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 65 |
| ASRS Report | 209383 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
On final approach to landing at approximately 1000 ft from the threshold of runway 23 encountered turbulence, wind shifts, and possible wind shear resulting in a 15 mph loss of airspeed and loss of altitude. At approximately 700 ft from the threshold aircraft brushed the tops of an approximately 70 ft high tree line. Aircraft recovered from impact and landed normally. No visual landing aids installed. Threshold, edge, and edn lights on and completely visible. Conclusions: 1) no VASI/PAPI visual landing aids installed. Without visual landing aids, night visual references are reduced which allowed an imperceptible loss of altitude at a critical point on the final approach. 2) a high tree line, approximately 700 ft from and across the threshold of any runway, presents unnecessary hazard south to landing aircraft particularly at night and in wind shift/shear conditions and/or turbulence. Recommendations: 1) install VASI/PAPI approach lights for runway 23. 2) remove tree line or reduce height of trees to no higher than 25 ft across the entire approach path to runway 23.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS TURB, WIND SHEAR AT 1000 FT FROM RWY THRESHOLD. HITS TREES AT 70 FT AGL.
Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO LNDG AT APPROX 1000 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 23 ENCOUNTERED TURB, WIND SHIFTS, AND POSSIBLE WIND SHEAR RESULTING IN A 15 MPH LOSS OF AIRSPD AND LOSS OF ALT. AT APPROX 700 FT FROM THE THRESHOLD ACFT BRUSHED THE TOPS OF AN APPROX 70 FT HIGH TREE LINE. ACFT RECOVERED FROM IMPACT AND LANDED NORMALLY. NO VISUAL LNDG AIDS INSTALLED. THRESHOLD, EDGE, AND EDN LIGHTS ON AND COMPLETELY VISIBLE. CONCLUSIONS: 1) NO VASI/PAPI VISUAL LNDG AIDS INSTALLED. WITHOUT VISUAL LNDG AIDS, NIGHT VISUAL REFS ARE REDUCED WHICH ALLOWED AN IMPERCEPTIBLE LOSS OF ALT AT A CRITICAL POINT ON THE FINAL APCH. 2) A HIGH TREE LINE, APPROX 700 FT FROM AND ACROSS THE THRESHOLD OF ANY RWY, PRESENTS UNNECESSARY HAZARD S TO LNDG ACFT PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT AND IN WIND SHIFT/SHEAR CONDITIONS AND/OR TURB. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) INSTALL VASI/PAPI APCH LIGHTS FOR RWY 23. 2) REMOVE TREE LINE OR REDUCE HEIGHT OF TREES TO NO HIGHER THAN 25 FT ACROSS THE ENTIRE APCH PATH TO RWY 23.
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.