What happened
A private pilot, who was not instrument rated, was operating an aircraft in partial visual flight rules (VFR) conditions when the flight encountered instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions. To navigate through these conditions, the pilot utilized a hand held global positioning system (GPS) receiver.
In an effort to descend below the cloud layer and return to VFR conditions, the aircraft struck a tree. Despite the impact, the airplane remained in flight, and the pilot was able to complete a successful landing at a nearby airport. The pilot was not injured during the event.
The investigation revealed that the pilot did not receive an official weather briefing prior to the flight. Instead, the pilot had obtained weather information by watching the 'weather channel' and listening to a radio broadcast provided by the National Weather Service.