Nov. 25, Aiken, S.C. / Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee

At 12:30 EST, a Piper PA-28-140 collided with trees during a go-around from an emergency landing area near Aiken, according to the pilot. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight was en route from Suffolk, Va., to Crestview, Fla., with a refueling stop in Saluda, S.C. During the descent from 8,500 feet the engine lost power. The pilot selected a field for an emergency landing and, while on final approach to land, the engine regained full power. The pilot then elected to go-around, but struck trees on the departure end of the proposed emergency landing area. The pilot said the collision with the trees separated the left main landing gear assembly, and the right wing sustained substantial structural damage. The pilot flew the airplane to Aiken and landed, at which time the airplane skidded off the left side of the runway.