# Incident 20200116004499I: Piper PA-28R-201, Charlotte, NC, January 16, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 16, 2020, 15:30 local time
- Place: Charlotte, NC
- Airport: Willgrove Air Park
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2271° N, 80.8431° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Charlotte, NC, within about 10 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2271&lon=-80.8431&mi=10
- Aircraft: N25EL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N25EL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201 (registry code 7102816, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-201
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200116004499I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SEE INVESTIGATIVE PTRS: EA68202001372

THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT OF N25EL

SIR -

I AM WRITING TO REPORT AN OCCURRENCE LAST THURSDAY, JANUARY 16.  AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH INTO RUNWAY 35 AT WILGROVE AIR PARK (8A6), I BRUSHED THE TOP OF A TALL TREE WITH THE RIGHT WINGTIP OF MY PIPER ARROW (PA28R-201, N25EL).  I CONTINUED THE LANDING, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE.  HOWEVER, I DID CAUSE A SLIGHT WRINKLING OF THE LEADING EDGE OF THE OUTBOARD END OF MY RIGHT WING.

CONDITIONS WERE VFR - CLEAR SKY, 10+ MILES VISIBILITY, WITH WINDS APPROXIMATELY 330 AT 10, GUSTING 20 KNOTS (REPORTED WINDS FROM KEQY, APPROX.12 MILES SOUTH - THERE IS NO AUTOMATED WEATHER AT 8A6).  MY A&P/IA HAS ALREADY COMMENCED REPAIRS.

I DON?T KNOW IF THIS MINOR DAMAGE WARRANTS A REPORT, BUT WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.