Incident Overview
A pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions at 500 feet above ground level. In response, the pilot initiated a turn to return to the departure airport.
Sequence of Events
During the turn, the aircraft lost a considerable amount of altitude and subsequently collided with the tops of multiple trees. Despite the impact, the pilot was able to continue flying and successfully land the aircraft at the airport without further incident.
Weather and Planning
The pilot reported that no formal weather briefing was obtained from a flight service station. Instead, the decision to take off was based solely on information from the automated surface observation system (ASOS) at the airport.