Accident Overview
During a nighttime flight, the pilot was maneuvering to locate the runway at his home base airport. The flight was conducted in dark conditions, and the pilot attempted to activate the pilot-controlled runway lights but was unsuccessful.
Sequence of Events
After failing to activate the runway lights, the pilot performed a low altitude pass over what he believed was runway 16/34 to determine if any portion of the runway lights were operating. During this maneuver, the pilot failed to detect that the airplane was not aligned with the runway. Additionally, the pilot did not maintain adequate altitude to avoid colliding with trees located approximately 1/8-mile west of the airport.
Pilot Awareness
Neither prior to taking off nor at any time during the accident flight did the pilot become aware that a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) had been issued indicating that the airport's runway lights were out of service.
The investigation found that the airplane descended until it collided with trees while the pilot was attempting to locate the runway.