The pilot reported that, after departure in dark night conditions, he became disoriented about two-thirds of the way to his destination airport. He added that he circled over a nearby town for about an hour, but was unable to find any visual references to aid in navigation. The pilot then called a family member on the ground, who provided guidance to the destination airport via a phone tracking application. He added that he spotted what appeared to be the destination airport, maneuvered for approach, and in the landing flare realized he was not at the airport. The pilot landed on a roadway that was about 6 miles from his intended destination. During landing the airplane struck trees, landed on a road, veered left, and impacted a light pole.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.