Incident Details
According to the pilot, while en route to Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, the aircraft encountered severe rain and thunderstorms near Beckley, West Virginia. The pilot reported that the weather was so severe that continuing to Beckley, where he intended to land and wait out the storm, was not possible.
Precautionary Landing
Spying a hay field, the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing. During the landing, the aircraft's left wing struck a tree, causing the aircraft to nose into the ground.
Aircraft Damage
The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft.