Accident Overview
The accident occurred during hours of darkness with no visible moon. Jackpot Airport is situated in an area of rolling hills, and the only ground reference lights are in the immediate vicinity of the runway and the adjacent casino. The pilot, who did not hold an instrument rating, was operating under visual flight rules.
Pilot Statement
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he did not experience any mechanical failure or malfunction. He stated that after lifting off from runway 15, he initiated a 400-foot-per-minute climb at a normal airspeed and then began a left turn. The pilot noted that the attitude indicator showed slightly less than a 20-degree bank angle as the heading indicator passed through 100 degrees, at which point he said, "we dropped out of the sky."
During a subsequent interview with an FAA inspector shortly after the accident, the pilot reported that as he initiated a crosswind turn after takeoff from runway 15, he lost visual reference with the horizon.
Investigation
An examination of the aircraft revealed no mechanical discrepancies. The investigation did not identify any specific mechanical cause for the loss of control. The lack of an instrument rating and the night conditions, combined with the loss of visual reference, were documented as relevant circumstances, but no causal factors were explicitly stated in the source.