Accident Sequence
The airplane veered off the runway during a night landing in instrument conditions and collided with ground obstructions. The pilot did not maintain directional control after touchdown, and the airplane veered to the left. It crossed an unpaved area, then struck and crossed a taxiway. The edge of the pavement broke the nose wheel off. The airplane continued onto another unpaved area and came to rest approximately 50 feet to the left of runway 28R and about 100 feet to the right of runway 5.
Weather Conditions
Weather at the time included visibility of less than 1/4 mile in fog, with a vertical visibility of 100 feet. The pilot reported being able to see the field while intercepting the instrument approach course at 3,000 feet MSL. During the instrument approach, he maintained visual contact through a layer of fog estimated to be 100 to 200 feet thick when he reached 200 feet AGL.
Pilot Actions
After descending further, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway, describing that everything became black. He began to move the levers up for a go-around, but then noticed two red lights to his left. Believing he was too close to the ground and too slow, he decided to land instead. The airplane touched down on the runway a second or two later. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented had he initiated a go-around when he lost visual contact with the runway. He reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Damage
The airplane incurred damage to the nose gear fork assembly, pressure vessel, and frame members.