Incident Narrative
The pilot of the second airplane in a flight of two reported flying about 1 mile behind the lead airplane. The lead pilot radioed that he had encountered decreasing visibility and was executing a 180° left turn to exit the area. After losing sight of the lead airplane, the pilot made a shallow climbing right turn and noticed that the terrain was rising. He entered the clouds for a few seconds and, in his words, "at that moment I ran into the trees which I never saw coming." The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The pilot reported the temperature as 60°F, visibility 8 miles, and ceilings at 1,500 feet. The nearest METAR station, located about 1 mile from the accident site, reported temperature 54°F, dew point 52°F, visibility 8 statute miles with light rain, and a ceiling broken at 500 feet and overcast at 1,500 feet.
Damage
The collision with trees caused substantial damage to both wings of the airplane. No further damage details were provided.