What happened
The pilot was operating an aircraft near a sand bar, intending to evaluate the area as a potential landing site. To gather information about the surface conditions, he executed a low pass and intentionally rolled the main wheels across the sand bar's surface.
Upon touching down on the sand bar, the airplane's left wing struck willows growing along the edge of the feature. The pilot subsequently initiated a climb to exit the area. However, while climbing at a slow airspeed approximately 35 feet above the ground, the aircraft collided with trees before falling to the ground.
The investigation
The factual narrative indicates that the collision sequence began with contact between the left wing and vegetation during the initial touchdown phase on the sand bar. This contact was followed by an impact with trees during the subsequent climb-out attempt at low altitude.