Incident Details
A pilot conducted a night landing approach to an airport, contacting UNICOM for weather information. The UNICOM operator reported that the winds were down runway 3 at 040 degrees at 2 knots, a transmission acknowledged by the pilot. Runway 3 was equipped with Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI) and Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL).
Despite receiving this information, the pilot performed an approach to runway 26, which was not equipped with glide path guidance. Runway 26 also had a displaced threshold of 565 feet. During the approach, the airplane struck trees approximately 1,475 feet from the threshold. The angle between the tree strike and the displaced threshold was 2.45 degrees. After striking the trees, the airplane came to rest in an inverted position.
Safety Pilot Observations
The pilot normally flew with a safety pilot. When interviewed, the safety pilot reported that the pilot was not considered safe for night solo operations. The safety pilot noted that the pilot would often forget checklist items and had previously made shallow approaches.