20220317001979I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Columbia, MO · March 17, 2022

Date: March 17, 2022 · 19:45 local
Place: Columbia, MO
Airport: Columbia Regional
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8325T
Reported as: Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,067 total5 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N8325TRegistered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-8116134 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

March 17, 2022, N8325T was conducting a practice power off approach to the cou airport around 8 pm local time. The pilot stated that as she was on the left base for runway 20, she noticed that the aircraft was extremely low and then saw the landing light illuminate the tops of trees. She then heard the aircraft strike the tree top and she climbed enough to make a landing on runway 20. After the event, the pilot stated that she looked out the window and did not see any damage and continued flying in the pattern. She stated that there was a student pilot on board and that she was attempting to demonstrate how to perform the maneuver to the student pilot. The full extent of the damage to the aircraft was observed the next morning by the owner. The left leading edge showed numerous small indentations and the left aileron was buckled upward due to contact with the tree top.

As the FAA filed it

MARCH 17, 2022, N8325T WAS CONDUCTING A PRACTICE POWER OFF APPROACH TO THE COU AIRPORT AROUND 8 PM LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS SHE WAS ON THE LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 20, SHE NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTREMELY LOW AND THEN SAW THE LANDING LIGHT ILLUMINATE THE TOPS OF TREES. SHE THEN HEARD THE AIRCRAFT STRIKE THE TREE TOP AND SHE CLIMBED ENOUGH TO MAKE A LANDING ON RUNWAY 20. AFTER THE EVENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT SHE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE AND CONTINUED FLYING IN THE PATTERN. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS A STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD AND THAT SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO DEMONSTRATE HOW TO PERFORM THE MANEUVER TO THE STUDENT PILOT. THE FULL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED THE NEXT MORNING BY THE OWNER. THE LEFT LEADING EDGE SHOWED NUMEROUS SMALL INDENTATIONS AND THE LEFT AILERON WAS BUCKLED UPWARD DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE TREE TOP.