Incident Narrative
The pilot was conducting a night visual flight rules (VFR) local area flight. During the flight, he noticed haze that obscured the lights on the ground. He then returned to the airport and activated the runway end identifier lights (REIL). As he entered the traffic pattern, he lost sight of the REIL lights. While executing a left turn to the base leg, the pilot entered fog and became disoriented. He attempted a go-around. During this go-around, the aircraft impacted some trees, but it remained controllable.
The pilot then attempted another approach. During this second approach, he again became disoriented. The aircraft impacted the ground on the airport property. The heading of the aircraft at impact was approximately 120 degrees to the left of the intended runway.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported having only 3 hours of simulated instrument time.