What happened
During a nighttime operation, an aircraft departed from an airport located southeast of the city. Prior to taxiing for takeoff, the pilot activated the runway edge lights. Because the taxiway lacked illumination, the pilot reported taxiing for an extended period. The pilot believed that the runway edge lights extinguished shortly after the aircraft became airborne.
As the flight progressed, passengers on board recalled the aircraft appearing to tumble after takeoff. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground in a nose low, left wing down attitude.
Findings
Investigators noted that the area along the extended centerline of Runway 21 was described by pilots familiar with the airport as a "black hole." At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged only 4 hours of night time within the previous 90 days. Additionally, it is noted that runway edge lights remain illuminated for approximately 15 minutes following activation.