What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
3/27/23 Notified of accident and went to scene. PIC had self reported an accident which had occurred on 3/25/23 on his personal airstrip. PIC was on approach onto his strip at about 50' AGL in VMC conditions when he past his visual cue to lower the nose for landing. He knew he was farther to the right (south) than normal but lowered the nose for touchdown. Due to decreased visibility through the aircraft he could not see a tree at the entrance to his runway that was higher compared to the others where he normally enters the field. The aircraft struck the tree under the right wing causing a small tear 6-8 inches long. The PIC describes being so startled by this and the noise that he continued at his nose down attitude and failed to perform the flair maneuver. The hard landing broke the engine mount and bent the propeller. The right wing hit the ground and dented in near the wing tip. The left gear collapsed and the tire was completely severed. The left wing hit the ground and appeared to break the spar. The airfield itself is a personal grass strip, although it had been raining for several days before the accident there is no evidence to suggest that the airfield was too soft for this operation.
As the FAA filed it
3/27/23 NOTIFIED OF ACCIDENT AND WENT TO SCENE. PIC HAD SELF REPORTED AN ACCIDENT WHICH HAD OCCURRED ON 3/25/23 ON HIS PERSONAL AIRSTRIP. PIC WAS ON APPROACH ONTO HIS STRIP AT ABOUT 50' AGL IN VMC CONDITIONS WHEN HE PAST HIS VISUAL CUE TO LOWER THE NOSE FOR LANDING. HE KNEW HE WAS FARTHER TO THE RIGHT (SOUTH) THAN NORMAL BUT LOWERED THE NOSE FOR TOUCHDOWN. DUE TO DECREASED VISIBILITY THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT HE COULD NOT SEE A TREE AT THE ENTRANCE TO HIS RUNWAY THAT WAS HIGHER COMPARED TO THE OTHERS WHERE HE NORMALLY ENTERS THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREE UNDER THE RIGHT WING CAUSING A SMALL TEAR 6-8 INCHES LONG. THE PIC DESCRIBES BEING SO STARTLED BY THIS AND THE NOISE THAT HE CONTINUED AT HIS NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND FAILED TO PERFORM THE FLAIR MANEUVER. THE HARD LANDING BROKE THE ENGINE MOUNT AND BENT THE PROPELLER. THE RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND AND DENTED IN NEAR THE WING TIP. THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY SEVERED. THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND AND APPEARED TO BREAK THE SPAR. THE AIRFIELD ITSELF IS A PERSONAL GRASS STRIP, ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEEN RAINING FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT THE AIRFIELD WAS TOO SOFT FOR THIS OPERATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.