A PA38 PLT; DEPARTING CEC; TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AT 100 FT TO AVOID A FLOCK OF GEESE.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING TO THE EUREKA ARPT TO PICK UP A CO-EMPLOYEE. THE WIND WAS LESS THAN 10 KTS FROM THE NW. THERE WERE OCCASIONAL FLOCKS OF GEESE VISIBLE IN THE AREA. I TAXIED TO RWY 29; AND AFTER RUN-UP AND PREFLT CHKS; I VISUALLY CHKED FOR TFC IN THE PATTERN. NO TFC OR HAZARDS WERE VISIBLE; SO I ANNOUNCED MY DEP INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF AND COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL. I ROTATED NORMALLY; AND WAS CLBING THROUGH 50-100 FT WHEN I OBSERVED A FLOCK OF GEESE APPEAR FROM BEHIND THE TREE LINE BORDERING THE N SIDE OF RWY 29. THERE WERE AT LEAST 5 GEESE IN A CLASS 'V;' FLYING JUST ABOVE MY ALT; OFF MY R SIDE; FLYING ROUGHLY SBOUND ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH MY ACFT. I INITIATED A LEVELOFF HOPING THAT THE GEESE WOULD FLY OVER ME; BUT THE FLOCK APPARENTLY OBSERVED MY APCHING ACFT AND SCATTERED. A COUPLE OF THE BIRDS DOVE; WHILE THE OTHERS SEEMED TO GO UP; AND TO THE R. I FELT THAT A COLLISION WAS IMMINENT; AND THAT MY ONLY ESCAPE WAS TO THE L; SO I MADE A HARD L TURN. I LOST SIGHT OF THE BIRDS DURING THE TURN. I WAS NOW 50-100 FT OFF THE GND FLYING TOWARD THE ACR TERMINAL. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO ACFT ON THE GND THERE; I DID NOT WISH TO DISTRESS ANYONE IN OR AROUND THE TERMINAL BUILDING; SO I MAINTAINED THE L TURN. I PASSED OVER THE NE CORNER OF AN AVIATION BUILDING AS I ROLLED OUT ON A SAFE HDG; AND SUSTAINED A HVY CLB. I CONTINUED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN REFLECTION I AM NOT SURE WHAT OTHER MANEUVER I COULD HAVE PERFORMED WHICH WOULD HAVE SUCCESSFULLY EVADED A COLLISION WITH THE BIRDS. HOWEVER; IN THE FUTURE; I MAY CHOOSE SOMETHING WHICH WOULD ENABLE ME TO KEEP THEM IN SIGHT. I ALSO FEEL IT WORTH MENTIONING THAT THE LARGE STAND OF TREES ON THE N SIDE OF RWY 29 ACTED AS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN THIS CASE. THESE TREES ALSO CAUSE MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL SEVERE TURB AT THE ARR END OF RWY 29 DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS; AND SHOULD BE REMOVED.