What happened
During a takeoff at dusk, an aircraft drifted left off a sod runway. As the plane lifted off, the right main gear and the right horizontal stabilizer struck a metal runway edge marker. Following this impact, the aircraft traveled approximately 150 feet before striking a tree located about 20 feet above the ground to the left of the runway boundary. Upon hitting the tree, the airplane spun around and impacted in a nose-down position.
The pilot reported lifting the nose gear after a ground roll of approximately 500 feet. Witnesses at the scene observed that the aircraft appeared to have been over-rotated during the takeoff roll.
The runway involved in the incident measured 1,225 by 60 feet, with grass heights ranging from 6 to 14 inches. According to performance data, the aircraft required 830 feet for takeoff and 1,325 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle.