What happened
The accident occurred while the aircraft was attempting to land under windy conditions. A right crosswind of 10 knots, with gusts reaching 15 knots, was present at the time. During the final approach phase, the pilot reported encountering a downdraft that reduced lift unexpectedly. The pilot indicated that he failed to react quickly enough to counteract this loss of altitude or airspeed.
As a result of the delayed reaction, the left wingtip made contact with a tree before the main landing gear touched the runway surface. Upon touchdown, the pilot attempted to maintain directional control but overcorrected the controls. This overcontrol caused the aircraft to lose traction and ground loop, resulting in further damage to the airframe.
The investigation
Post-acc examination confirmed that the left wingtip had struck a tree prior to the main wheels touching down. The pilot's account of overcontrolling during the landing roll was consistent with the physical evidence of the ground loop.