Incident Overview
A pilot returning from a short sightseeing flight in a tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a failure of the landing and taxi lights. The lights would not illuminate, and given the dark night conditions and the inoperable lights, the pilot decided to land on a roadway instead of the short ice-covered private airstrip used for departure.
Sequence of Events
Unbeknownst to the pilot, a snow berm had been placed in the roadway. During the landing roll, the airplane struck the snow berm and nosed over. The impact substantially damaged the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed that the factory connection for the landing and taxi lights had failed at the 4-pin connector. The pilot reported no other mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Recommendation
In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if the flight had been limited to daylight operations.