What happened
The purpose of this flight was to fly over a passenger's farm. While operating the unspecified aircraft at a low level, the pilot noticed an object fall off the dashboard. In an attempt to identify the falling item, the pilot leaned forward and downward.
This movement caused the pilot to inadvertently force the yoke forward, which lowered the aircraft's attitude. Upon looking back up, the pilot observed trees directly in front of the aircraft. Despite applying back pressure on the elevator, the aircraft struck the trees. Following the impact, the aircraft was able to climb, though tree branches were hanging from the wing. Due to noticing limited deflection in the elevator, the pilot performed a precautionary landing in a nearby field. There were no injuries reported.
The investigation
Post-accident investigation of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, the elevator, and the right wing spar.