# Incident 20220317001979I: Piper PA-28-161, Columbia, MO, March 17, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 17, 2022, 19:45 local time
- Place: Columbia, MO
- Airport: Columbia Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.8177° N, 92.2178° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at COLUMBIA RGNL (COU), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8177&lon=-92.2178&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8325T, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8325T) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,067 total, 5 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220317001979I

## Narrative

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

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.

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.

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