Incident Overview
A pilot was soaring when the aircraft was allowed to become too close to terrain. In an attempt to reverse direction, the pilot executed a steep turn, which resulted in an accelerated stall at low altitude. The pilot lowered the nose to recover from the stall, but during this maneuver, the aircraft struck tree tops.
Damage and Recovery
The left aileron, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator were damaged in the tree strike. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to return to the departure airport and land successfully.
Sequence of Events
The incident began while the aircraft was soaring. The pilot's action of allowing the aircraft to become too close to terrain led to a situation requiring a steep turn to reverse direction. This turn precipitated an accelerated stall. After the stall, the pilot attempted recovery by lowering the nose, but this resulted in contact with tree tops. The damage to the aircraft's control surfaces did not prevent the pilot from flying back to the departure airport and completing a landing.