An small aircraft descends to VMC at nighttime, sees approach lights, but descends early and strikes...

Attributes
ACN	381864
Time
Date	199710
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bvy
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1600
ASRS Report	381864
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR flight plan vsf to bvy. In cloud most of way. Was on localizer runway 16 approach. Broke out 1500-2000 ft, approximately 8 mi out. Runway lights were already on full. Approach lights were bright. Canceled IFR and proceeded on what would normally (to me) be a VFR approach keeping view of runway constant. Obviously my judgement was betraying me because only seconds before reaching approach lights, there were 2 whooshes and an expletive! I had struck the tops of trees. A normal landing followed. I was too low! If conditions had been IMC down to minimums there would have been no incident because I would have followed the procedure. One possible contributing factor could have been the very brilliant approach lights. While I don't use my landing lights as a means to judge altitude, I have noticed that I can see terrain and objects that seem to be 25-50 ft below. The approach lights removed that ability to see there. The lesson is an old one. Night vision is night vision. Night flying from now on I will follow IFR procedures all the way down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA DSNDS TO VMC AT NIGHTTIME, SEES APCH LIGHTS, BUT DSNDS EARLY AND STRIKES SOME TREES ON SHORT FINAL, AT BVY, MA.

Narrative: IFR FLT PLAN VSF TO BVY. IN CLOUD MOST OF WAY. WAS ON LOC RWY 16 APCH. BROKE OUT 1500-2000 FT, APPROX 8 MI OUT. RWY LIGHTS WERE ALREADY ON FULL. APCH LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT. CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED ON WHAT WOULD NORMALLY (TO ME) BE A VFR APCH KEEPING VIEW OF RWY CONSTANT. OBVIOUSLY MY JUDGEMENT WAS BETRAYING ME BECAUSE ONLY SECONDS BEFORE REACHING APCH LIGHTS, THERE WERE 2 WHOOSHES AND AN EXPLETIVE! I HAD STRUCK THE TOPS OF TREES. A NORMAL LNDG FOLLOWED. I WAS TOO LOW! IF CONDITIONS HAD BEEN IMC DOWN TO MINIMUMS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO INCIDENT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE PROC. ONE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR COULD HAVE BEEN THE VERY BRILLIANT APCH LIGHTS. WHILE I DON'T USE MY LNDG LIGHTS AS A MEANS TO JUDGE ALT, I HAVE NOTICED THAT I CAN SEE TERRAIN AND OBJECTS THAT SEEM TO BE 25-50 FT BELOW. THE APCH LIGHTS REMOVED THAT ABILITY TO SEE THERE. THE LESSON IS AN OLD ONE. NIGHT VISION IS NIGHT VISION. NIGHT FLYING FROM NOW ON I WILL FOLLOW IFR PROCS ALL THE WAY DOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

An small aircraft descends to VMC at nighttime, sees approach lights, but descends early and strikes some trees on short final, at bvy, ma.