a VFR flight at or below 2000 ft above the ground or water, a pilot is required to be able to navigate by visual reference to the ground or water. I posit that in "pitch black" conditions, this is not possible or legal.
The requirement is you have to be able to positively fix your position by reference to features on a topographical chart at intervals not exceeding 30 minutes, which on a pitch black night means, in my opinion, a lighted area such as a town, or where I operated, an off shore platform. See page 31 of the report.