On July 22, 1997, at 2315 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 182F, N3265U, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when during landing on terrain along side an unlit grass strip, control of the airplane was lost. The airplane's nose gear dug into the dirt along side the airstrip and the airplane subsequently nosed over. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. There were no injuries reported by the pilot or the two passengers on board. The flight originated at Greeley, Colorado, at 1945 mountain daylight time (mdt), and was en route to Haviland, Kansas. In his written statement, the pilot said that after the airplane was on the ground, it veered to the left. The left main landing gear "entered newly worked field." The soft field caused the airplane to come to a sudden stop causing the right wing to strike the runway. "When the nose gear entered the soft field, the propeller came in contact with the ground." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the airplane said that the right wing forward spar, one foot inboard of the wing tip, was bent aft. The rear carry-through spar was bent in the middle. Numerous skin wrinkles were observed in the upper and lower surfaces of the right wing. The right side of the fuselage, aft of the cabin, was bent inward. The propeller blades were bent aft near the tips. Flight control continuity was confirmed. The airplane's landing light was found to be inoperative. No anomalies were found with the engine, engine controls or other airplane systems. The FAA inspector also found that at the time of the accident, the airport's runway lighting was inoperative.