What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was in the final stages of landing. As the pilot flared the airplane for touchdown, a car unexpectedly drove onto the approach end of the runway, positioning itself directly in the flight path.
To avoid a collision with the vehicle, the pilot immediately applied full power and initiated a right turn. After successfully clearing the car, the aircraft was oriented toward a nearby residence. The pilot then began a left turn to reorient the airplane back toward the runway alignment. During this maneuver, the left wingtip of the aircraft struck a tree.
The investigation
The physical evidence indicated that the primary sequence of events was driven by the sudden presence of an unauthorized vehicle on the active runway. The pilot's reaction to apply full power and turn right was consistent with emergency avoidance procedures. However, the subsequent left turn resulted in ground contact with the wingtip.
Findings
The accident was caused by the combination of a vehicle entering the runway environment during critical flight operations and the resulting go-around maneuver. The pilot's decision to turn toward a residential area after clearing the obstacle contributed to the loss of clearance from terrain.