the aircraft stalled and impacted the ground while on base leg to final...before reaching the runway threshold; probably pilot error. No survivors.
Landing Pattern -> Low & Slow = no recovery time for a stall.
The fact that one is not actutely aware of the horizon when night flying creates a lesser awareness when the "angle of attack" exceeds operating perameters (the nose of the plane is so high that the angle impedes on the airflow over the wings) Add to this the conditions that exist within a Landing Pattern (see above)and a lack of experience with night flying (the pilot had astonishingly low night flying experience) It is very easy to allow the nose of the plane to creep up as a means to slow the plane down (constant speed adjustments are made whilst in a landing pattern) when dealing with the stress of a landing -- again,most especially at night.
