CHI96LA105

The pilot said that before landing, he was inspecting the grass runway by over-flying the runway from north to south. The aircraft hit tree branches 69 feet east of the runway edge. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine. The runway clear area at Camp River Airport did not meet the recommendations of Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5300-13 chg 4. The airplane's left wing was crushed along the leading edge, and the left wing strut had buckled. The right landing gear mount was broken loose from the fuselage, and the fuselage was crushed aft of the firewall.

On March 12, 1996, at 1245 central standard time (cst), a Cessna 172, N2966U, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a tree while flying over the Camp River Airport, Camp River, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot sustained serious injures in the accident. The flight originated from Kenosha, Wisconsin, at 1115 cst.

The pilot was contacted by the investigator in charge (IIC) on March 18, 1996. The pilot said that before landing he was inspecting the grass runway by over flying the runway from the north to the south. The pilot said he was flying along the east side of the runway. The pilot said he thought the aircraft had sufficient altitude to clear the obstacles around the airport. The pilot said the last thing he remembered about the flight was seeing tree branches in the windshield. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine.

A witness to the accident reported that as the pilot was flying past the airport office, the pilot did a "wing wag" with the aircraft.

The airport manager was contacted by the IIC on March 15, 1996. The airport manager measured the distance from the runway edge to the trunk of the tree which the aircraft hit as 82 feet. The manager said the branches on the tree extended about 13 feet towards the runway edge, and estimated the height of the tree at 70 feet. Camp River Airport's runway is 75 feet wide. Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5300-13 chg 4 recommends a 87.5 foot clear area around the sides of a 75 foot wide runway.

The airplane's left wing was crushed along the leading edge, and the left wing strut had buckled. The right landing gear mount was broken loose from the fuselage, and the fuselage was crushed aft of the firewall.