Narrative:

This is being reported to prevent this or include some method of communicating this type obstruction to others. Grass alongside active runways is in use at most uncontrolled runways. This could have resulted in a bad accident. Most pilots in this situation do not relate to authority/authorized or unauthorized landing areas when strips are used for yrs. I flew my mini-plane approximately 20 mins. My normal procedure is to takeoff on the black top and land on the grass on the north side of runway 26. The aircraft is a very sensitive handling aircraft due to the short coupling and wings on end of the aircraft. I made my usual approach and landed very smoothly and rolled out straight ahead. As the aircraft started to roll out about midway in the landing roll, I felt and heard a loud thump. The aircraft headed for the active runway on the left and I prevented that by turning the aircraft 180 degrees to the right. The aircraft stopped immediately with the engine running. No propeller strike. My left wheel was flat on the ground, the wheel was imbedded in the dirt. My lower left wing leading edge was pushed in and split and the underside was ripped and torn, including the aileron. This damage was caused by a traffic counter placed in the middle of the grass strip by the state aeronautics commission. Being a tail dragger, I landed in the 3-POINT attitude and had no way of seeing the counter. Takeoff taxiing was on the south side of runway 26. The counter box was approximately 2 ft by 3 ft by 2 ft high, a metallic gray that blended into the dry tall grass. Approximately XA45, I called the FAA in portland, described the accident and received permission to move the aircraft to my hangar. I called the state aeronautics commission. They sent a gentleman up to take pictures and a statement and I called my insurance company. The north side of runway 26 has been used as a landing area for the last 10 yrs I have been flying out of lci. The state representative stated they knew banner towers used that area all the time as I did when I had my banner business. As a final note, I have had 50 yrs of accident free flying, and have always flown within the rules and regulations and stayed within my abilities to handle the aircraft and the circumstances. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states this is a single place biplane homebuilt and was quite badly damaged. If the box had been centered on the grass area instead of slightly left he would not be here to tell about it. He feels strongly the person who installed the box was not a pilot or it would never have been placed where it was. He spoke to one of the state officials who said we know pilots use this grass area to land. A second person with whom he spoke said, you landed in an unauthorized area. The airport authority/authorized was informed of the installation but did not put out any notice. The box was gone the next day when reporter went to take pictures. His major concern is that this should not happen to anyone else at some other airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LNDG IN GRASS AREA ALONGSIDE RWY ENCOUNTERS 'COUNTER BOX' INSTALLED BUT NOT ANNOUNCED.

Narrative: THIS IS BEING RPTED TO PREVENT THIS OR INCLUDE SOME METHOD OF COMMUNICATING THIS TYPE OBSTRUCTION TO OTHERS. GRASS ALONGSIDE ACTIVE RWYS IS IN USE AT MOST UNCTLED RWYS. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A BAD ACCIDENT. MOST PLTS IN THIS SIT DO NOT RELATE TO AUTH OR UNAUTH LNDG AREAS WHEN STRIPS ARE USED FOR YRS. I FLEW MY MINI-PLANE APPROX 20 MINS. MY NORMAL PROC IS TO TKOF ON THE BLACK TOP AND LAND ON THE GRASS ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 26. THE ACFT IS A VERY SENSITIVE HANDLING ACFT DUE TO THE SHORT COUPLING AND WINGS ON END OF THE ACFT. I MADE MY USUAL APCH AND LANDED VERY SMOOTHLY AND ROLLED OUT STRAIGHT AHEAD. AS THE ACFT STARTED TO ROLL OUT ABOUT MIDWAY IN THE LNDG ROLL, I FELT AND HEARD A LOUD THUMP. THE ACFT HEADED FOR THE ACTIVE RWY ON THE L AND I PREVENTED THAT BY TURNING THE ACFT 180 DEGS TO THE R. THE ACFT STOPPED IMMEDIATELY WITH THE ENG RUNNING. NO PROP STRIKE. MY L WHEEL WAS FLAT ON THE GND, THE WHEEL WAS IMBEDDED IN THE DIRT. MY LOWER L WING LEADING EDGE WAS PUSHED IN AND SPLIT AND THE UNDERSIDE WAS RIPPED AND TORN, INCLUDING THE AILERON. THIS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A TFC COUNTER PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GRASS STRIP BY THE STATE AERONAUTICS COMMISSION. BEING A TAIL DRAGGER, I LANDED IN THE 3-POINT ATTITUDE AND HAD NO WAY OF SEEING THE COUNTER. TKOF TAXIING WAS ON THE S SIDE OF RWY 26. THE COUNTER BOX WAS APPROX 2 FT BY 3 FT BY 2 FT HIGH, A METALLIC GRAY THAT BLENDED INTO THE DRY TALL GRASS. APPROX XA45, I CALLED THE FAA IN PORTLAND, DESCRIBED THE ACCIDENT AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO MOVE THE ACFT TO MY HANGAR. I CALLED THE STATE AERONAUTICS COMMISSION. THEY SENT A GENTLEMAN UP TO TAKE PICTURES AND A STATEMENT AND I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE N SIDE OF RWY 26 HAS BEEN USED AS A LNDG AREA FOR THE LAST 10 YRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF LCI. THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THEY KNEW BANNER TOWERS USED THAT AREA ALL THE TIME AS I DID WHEN I HAD MY BANNER BUSINESS. AS A FINAL NOTE, I HAVE HAD 50 YRS OF ACCIDENT FREE FLYING, AND HAVE ALWAYS FLOWN WITHIN THE RULES AND REGS AND STAYED WITHIN MY ABILITIES TO HANDLE THE ACFT AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THIS IS A SINGLE PLACE BIPLANE HOMEBUILT AND WAS QUITE BADLY DAMAGED. IF THE BOX HAD BEEN CTRED ON THE GRASS AREA INSTEAD OF SLIGHTLY L HE WOULD NOT BE HERE TO TELL ABOUT IT. HE FEELS STRONGLY THE PERSON WHO INSTALLED THE BOX WAS NOT A PLT OR IT WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PLACED WHERE IT WAS. HE SPOKE TO ONE OF THE STATE OFFICIALS WHO SAID WE KNOW PLTS USE THIS GRASS AREA TO LAND. A SECOND PERSON WITH WHOM HE SPOKE SAID, YOU LANDED IN AN UNAUTH AREA. THE ARPT AUTH WAS INFORMED OF THE INSTALLATION BUT DID NOT PUT OUT ANY NOTICE. THE BOX WAS GONE THE NEXT DAY WHEN RPTR WENT TO TAKE PICTURES. HIS MAJOR CONCERN IS THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE AT SOME OTHER ARPT.

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.