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.

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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.