PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 5500; Flight Crew Type 250
Situational Awareness; Other / Unknown
Ground Event / Encounter Object; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Object; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Weather
Waiting for VFR for training. Monitored [our destination] weather which predicted VFR at XA00; then XB00. When weather rose to 600 FT and 3 miles; we left to drive to the airplane at XA10. After pre-flight; we took off; but there was a ceiling of 650 FT MSL. We stayed low and proceeded south to [our destination]. As we arrived on a left downwind for Runway 36; the weather deteriorated; rain; visibility 2 miles; fog. I turned across the runway and entered a left downwind for Runway 18. At this time I considered returning to the departure airport; however; the deteriorating weather had closed in behind us also. At this point; I considered my only option was going IFR and requesting an approach to [our destination]; or landing on Runway 18 at [an alternate]. I decided to land. During my turn at low altitude to final; the left wing hit pine tree tops. The landing was uneventful. Upon examining the aircraft; it was observed that the outer half of the left wing had skin damage; as did the aileron; and later we observed that the pitot tube was not against the bottom of the wing.What caused the problem:Believe the weather forecast. We should have waited until it became VFR before making the flight. Anticipating that the weather would continue to improve as it was doing that morning. The forecast was for VFR at XA00; XB00; XC00; XD00; and XE00. It actually turned VFR at XF00.How to prevent recurrence:Do not fly until weather [is] good enough. The last decision to land was also a mistake. We should have gone IFR; declared an emergency and made an approach to [our destination]. The airplane is not certified for IFR flight; however; it has sufficient instruments and radios that it could have made the approach.
PA28 pilot reports departing for a short flight in less than VFR conditions to find the destination airport weather deteriorating even further. The decision is made to continue with a visual approach at very low altitude resulting in contact with pine trees and damage to the aircraft.