PA28 PLT WHO IS NON INST RATED DEPARTS ON IFR FLT PLAN FILED IN PAX'S NAME. ENCOUNTERS IMC; VEERS TO THE L TO AVOID A HILL SINCE ACFT IS NOT CLBING WELL. THEY HIT TREES; DIVERT TO ARPT WITH INST APCH. FAA IS ON THE FIELD.

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DURING DEP THE CEILING WAS LOW AND VISIBILITY LOW AND ACFT WAS AT GROSS WT. THE ACFT WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A CLB RATE SUFFICIENT TO GIVE ENOUGH ALT TO MISS THE HILL AT THE END OF THE RWY WITH A COMFORTABLE MARGIN. I VEERED L TO AVOID ANY POSSIBILITY OF STRIKING THE HILL. SOON AFTER LIFTOFF THE ACFT WAS IMC AND I VEERED L TOO SOON WHICH CAUSED ME TO STRIKE THE TOPS OF TREES ON THE L OF THE RWY. THE TREES CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WINGTIP ON THE L AND STRUCK THE LEADING EDGE IN 2 OTHER SPOTS LEAVING A 1/4 - 1/2 INCH DIMPLE IN THE LEADING EDGE AND A 3/4 INCH DIMPLE IN THE END CAUSING THE END PIECE TO FRACTURE. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE LOW VISIBILITY BEING AT GROSS WT CAUSING A LOW RATE OF CLB AND VEERING L TOO SOON. A FLT PLAN WAS FILED IFR UNDER THE NAME XX (INST RATED PLT). I FLEW L SEAT AND CTLED THE ACFT DURING THE INCIDENT. XX FLEW R SEAT AS SAFETY PLT AND PIC. WHEN IN THE AIR THE DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED ON THE WING SO THE FLT WAS CUT SHORT AND WE LANDED AT THE CLOSEST ARPT WITH AN INST APCH (BECKLEY; WV). THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE GREETED US UPON ARR AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE SIT. XX DID NOT PRODUCE HIS LICENSE AS HE THOUGHT IT WAS IN ANOTHER FLT BAG AT HIS HOME. IT WAS NOT UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY THAT HE DISCOVERED HE HAD ALL THE APPROPRIATE LICENSES AND DOCUMENTS IN HIS POSSESSION IN THE FLT BAG HE HAD WITH HIM. ATTACHED IS A COPY OF THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. THE LESSON LEARNED WAS TO WAIT FOR BETTER VISIBILITY AND DO NOT LOAD TO MAX WT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A PIPER ARROW AND IT WAS GROSS LOADED. THE CONDITIONS THAT DAY WERE NOT CONDUCIVE TO A GOOD CLB RATE. THAT WAS THE MAJOR PROB. RPTR WAS EXPECTING TO TAKE HIS INST CHK RIDE THE NEXT DAY AND HIS BUDDY INDICATED HE HAD DONE THIS TYPE OF TKOF MANY TIMES. RPTR FEELS HE JUST VEERED TO THE L TOO SOON. THE FAA HAS FOUND HIM NOT TO BE AT FAULT IN THIS INCIDENT. THEY WILL NOT DISCUSS WHAT ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST HIM. THEY JUST HAPPENED TO BE ON THE FIELD WHEN THE ACFT LANDED AND DECIDED TO CHK OUT THE ACFT AFTER LNDG. RPTR DID MAKE THE INST APCH SUCCESSFULLY BUT HAS NOT GONE FOR THE CHK RIDE AS HE WAS TOO SHAKEN BY THIS INCIDENT. HE FEELS HE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND MOSTLY WHAT HE WILL NOT DO AGAIN.