Circumstances
On a dark night, a pilot attempted to land at an airport. The aircraft landed off the right side of the runway. The landing occurred in soft turf. During the subsequent loss of control, the aircraft turned right and nosed down into a ravine.
Pilot Account
The pilot stated that only three runway lights were illuminated at the airport. He reported that his landing light did not help in finding the runway. The pilot also indicated that his decision-making process was degraded as a result of fatigue and stress. According to the pilot, the fatigue and stress were created when he initially spent about half an hour trying to locate the airport.
Sequence of Events
The pilot had difficulty locating the airport from the air. After spending approximately thirty minutes searching, he attempted to land. Upon touchdown off the runway, the soft turf terrain contributed to a loss of directional control. The aircraft subsequently turned to the right and came to rest in a ravine. No further details about the aircraft, occupants, or injuries were provided in the source.
Lighting Conditions
The limited number of runway lights—only three illuminated—made the runway difficult to identify. The pilot's own landing light proved ineffective in illuminating the runway environment under the dark night conditions. The combination of poor lighting and the pilot's extended search effort affected his ability to make sound landing decisions.