Narrative
A pilot departed to practice 'crosswind flying' after checking the weather and local winds. Upon climbing above trees at the departure end of runway 35, the pilot stated, 'I realized I had made a mistake...' and returned for landing on the same runway. During landing, the airplane touched down, departed the right side of the runway, and struck a clump of small trees.
Pilot Background
The pilot reported 260 hours of total flight experience, with 36 hours in the specific make and model involved in the accident.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, winds were reported from 270 degrees at 20 knots, gusting to 40 knots. The aircraft's demonstrated crosswind component, placarded on the dash panel, was 17 knots. The pilot reported being unaware of this limitation prior to the accident.