What happened
The pilot arrived at an unlighted airport during nighttime conditions. To identify the runway and surrounding landmarks, he made two passes over the airfield before commencing an approach for landing. The aircraft touched down with approximately one-third of the 3000-foot runway remaining.
Subsequently, the pilot initiated a missed approach procedure. During this maneuver, the nose gear struck trees located beyond the end of the runway. The aircraft came to rest on an adjacent golf course, sustaining substantial damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the arrival and the subsequent impact. The primary finding was that the nose gear made contact with vegetation after the missed approach was initiated. No mechanical failures were reported prior to the event.
Findings
Contributing factors included the unlighted airport environment and the dark night conditions, which necessitated visual identification of the runway through multiple passes. The pilot's decision to continue the approach despite limited visibility cues led to the hard landing and subsequent missed approach where ground contact occurred.