| Crash location | 41.344166°N, 82.177500°W |
| Nearest city | Elyria, OH
41.400322°N, 82.140428°W 4.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N2699G |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 11 Dec 2007 |
| Aircraft type | Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that he departed on an instrument flight rules flight plan into a low overcast cloud ceiling. He commented that he lost visual contact with the ground immediately upon liftoff. During the initial climb, the airplane momentarily entered a nose-down attitude. He subsequently corrected the nose down attitude. However, as the airplane began to climb again the right wing impacted a tree. This occurred approximately 1 mile from the airport and within 1 minute of takeoff. After the in-flight collision, he had "full function" of the airplane and elected to continue the planned 31-minute flight to the intended destination. He added that there were no anomalies related to flight control or engine operation during the flight. A post accident inspection revealed impact damage to the leading edge of the right wing, right engine nacelle, and right propeller spinner. In addition, the inspection revealed a 3-inch crack in the aft wing spar at the right main landing gear wheel well.
The pilot's momentary loss of control after takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a tree. A contributing factor was the presence of the tree.