I think it was the runway lights that were out.
Also bad luck had it that he lost all electrical on board the aircraft and couldn't read his flight intruments. Normally he could have keyed his mic six times to turn on the runway lights, but he only had a cell phone since the electrical was out.
He asked his girlfriend to hold a flashlight at the end of the runway. Maybe she should have used her car lights on the runway too, or parked the car at the end of the runway. Lots of woulda, coulda, should'ves here.
25 miles to the nearest towered airport.
Cell phone could contact the tower.
15 minutes away in a Cessna 150.