What happened
During a night flight, the pilot performed a circling pattern around the airport to determine runway usage. As the pilot prepared for landing, the landing gear was extended. During the final approach, the pilot noticed that the landing gear indicator lights were not illuminating properly and attempted to verify if the gear was in the safe position.
While on final approach, the pilot observed a lighted wind tee near the midfield of the runway. Based on this observation, the pilot determined there was insufficient runway remaining to complete the landing and elected to perform a go-around.
The pilot stated that the panel lights had been inadvertently turned off; in this specific aircraft type, turning off the panel lights is designed to automatically brighten the gear position lights to assist visibility. While attempting to reach for a flashlight in the cockpit to improve visibility, the pilot unknowingly banked the aircraft to the right of the runway. This maneuver led to a collision with trees and subsequent impact with the terrain.
There were no injuries reported in this accident.