NASA · Aviation Safety Reporting System
Student pilot reported that the "on glide path" profile when using the PAPI for VKX Runway 24 is very close to the trees at the approach end of the runway. The reporter suggested the tree tops be trimmed.
What is ASRS?
The Aviation Safety Reporting System is NASA's voluntary, confidential, non- punitive incident-reporting system, established 1976. Pilots, controllers, dispatchers, and maintenance technicians file reports describing safety- relevant events. NASA de-identifies every report before adding it to the public database. Reports are not investigated by NASA, the FAA, or the NTSB — they represent the reporter's perspective.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim from the de-identified NASA record. First-person account by the
reporter. NASA strips identifying details (names, company, specific time);
anonymization placeholders are ZZZ,
X, Y.
I was returning to Potomac Airfield (VKX) from ZZZ. After flying a normal left pattern for runway 24 at VKX, I stayed at or above the PAPI glide slope until clear of the trees on the approach end of the runway. The flight path (on glide path) is very close to the top of the trees, which have not been trimmed in a while. I am concerned that tree growth has encroached onto the margin of error for the approach path and think that pruning and thinning of the trees on the approach end of Runway 24 would be prudent to improve safety.
NASA classification — Anomalies
- No Specific Anomaly Occurred
NASA classification — Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Airport
- Primary Problem
- Airport
ASRS reports are voluntarily submitted, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective. The presence of reports on a topic cannot be used to infer prevalence in the National Airspace System. The authoritative source is the NASA ASRS Database Online at asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗.