Incident Overview
According to the pilot, he approached the airport area and attempted to activate the pilot-controlled lighting system. After several attempts, the only airport lighting that illuminated was the windsock. He continued the approach and performed a low pass over the runway to scare away any deer. He then entered a left downwind for the runway and chose to land without runway lights, relying on ambient lighting.
Upon touchdown during the rollout, the pilot observed deer crossing in front of the airplane from left to right. He turned the airplane to the left to avoid them, but the left wing struck a small stand of trees, resulting in substantial damage to the wing.
Lighting System Issues
The airport manager reported that the lighting system was tested the following morning, and all lights except the runway lights illuminated. On the subsequent day, the lighting was tested again, and all lights functioned. The manager noted that it had rained the day before the incident, and when examined, the lighting control box was wet.