The pilot's flight plan indicated that he would reach his destination 20 minutes before last light. During the flight this estimate was amended to 7 minutes before last light. As the enroute weather was satisfactory, the pilot proceeded as planned. However, about 10 kilometres from the aerodrome, rain showers and deteriorating visibility were encountered and the pilot did not consider it safe to continue. There was insufficient daylight remaining to reach the planned alternate aerodrome, and the pilot elected to carry out a precautionary landing on a sealed stretch of road. The aircraft touched down normally, but then began to drift to the right. A go-around was initiated, but the tailplane struck a fence post. The force of this impact almost tore the tail section from the aircraft. The pilot felt the impact but was unaware of the extent of the damage until after he had landed the aircraft in the adjoining paddock. The road on which the pilot had attempted to land was narrow, and the approach had been made in crosswind conditions. The pilot had limited experience on the type and had been unable to maintain directional control under the existing conditions.
