Most likely very, very dark in the area west of the nearby destination town. Average resident density in the two neighboring counties around the site is 4 and 6 per mile. Google Earth is essentially desert scrub.
SPECI KTCC 170617Z AUTO 03014KT 10SM BKN015 20/16 A3000 RMK AO2 T02000156
SPECI KTCC 170629Z AUTO 03017KT 10SM OVC014 19/14 A3000 RMK AO2 T01940144
METAR KTCC 170653Z AUTO 03017KT 10SM OVC014 19/15 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP098 T01940150 403330183
(estimated time of accident)
SPECI KTCC 170735Z AUTO 05018KT 10SM OVC015 19/13 A3003 RMK AO2 T01890133
METAR KTCC 170753Z AUTO 05015KT 10SM OVC014 19/14 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP104 T01890139
METAR KTCC 170853Z AUTO 02015KT 10SM OVC013 19/15 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP111 T01890150 53020
SPECI KTCC 170943Z AUTO 02015G24KT 4SM -RA BR OVC015 18/16 A3005 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT N RAB05 P0004 T01780156
METAR KTCC 170953Z AUTO 04014KT 5SM -RA BR BKN014 OVC023 18/16 A3005 RMK AO2 RAB05 SLP108 P0004 T01780161
SPECI KTCC 171011Z AUTO 04015KT 10SM -RA SCT014 SCT024 OVC036 18/16 A3003 RMK AO2 P0000 T01780156
I can't find a radar loop, so I don't have any information to show that rain later in the evening was an issue on the leg tracked.