Background
An aircraft operating under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was five miles from its destination airport when it exited cloud cover and continued under visual flight rules (VFR) to the airport. The conditions were a dark night with light rain falling.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that he flew over the airport twice in search of a wind direction indicator but was unable to find one. He then elected to touch down on the end of the runway closest to the town lights. The landing was performed downwind.
Landing and Runway Excursion
After touchdown, the pilot discovered that the braking action was very poor. He determined that it was too late to execute a go-around and also too late to stop the aircraft on the remaining runway. The aircraft departed the end of the runway, crossed a road, went through a pond, and came to a stop against small trees.
Airport Lighting
A city official stated that the runway is equipped with lighting, but the windsock and wind tee are not illuminated.