What happened
The pilot reported being unable to activate the runway lights via radio control during the final approach. Consequently, he relied on visual references from airport buildings to align the aircraft with the runway centerline. The aircraft's landing and taxi lights were inoperative at the time of the incident.
The pilot did not realize that he had undershot the proper approach turn. As a result, the aircraft was aligned to the left of the runway until just moments before touchdown. Upon contact with the ground, the aircraft touched down on soft terrain, which caused the nose gear to collapse and the aircraft to nose over.
The investigation
Post-acc examination confirmed that the landing and taxi lights were inoperative. The pilot stated that he could not activate the runway lights by radio, forcing reliance on external visual cues for alignment.
Findings
The primary factors contributing to this accident were the pilot's failure to properly align with the runway due to undershooting the approach turn and the inoperative landing lights. The use of airport buildings for alignment instead of standard lighting aids led to the left-of-centerline touchdown on soft terrain.