What happened
The pilot, who was not instrument rated, initiated a takeoff during the hours of darkness under visual meteorological conditions. During the ground roll at an airspeed of approximately 65 to 75 knots, just prior to rotation, the landing light extinguished. The pilot rotated two to three seconds later and, due to the aircraft's long nose configuration, lost sight of the runway lights. He attempted to maintain a proper climb using instrument references, but shortly thereafter, the left wing struck the top of a tall tree.
Witnesses provided corroborating accounts of the event. The pilot's father observed the aircraft enter a left turn immediately after lift-off before losing visual contact with the plane. A surviving passenger reported that engine sound remained constant, but the aircraft veered to the left shortly after becoming airborne. Moments later, the aircraft collided with trees, crashed, and burned. The initial impact occurred on a heading of 030 degrees, approximately 500 feet to the left of the runway.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical failure or malfunction of any components. The airport elevation was recorded at 2,857 feet, while the crash site elevation was approximately 2,400 feet. The pilot had previously been treated for glaucoma and had been denied a third-class medical certificate on January 31, 1984, while awaiting an eye evaluation.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's loss of visual reference to the runway environment during night operations. The failure of the landing light exacerbated the situation by removing available illumination. The pilot's lack of instrument rating likely contributed to his inability to safely control the aircraft without external visual cues, leading to a leftward deviation and subsequent collision with terrain.