Date: 202201
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.TRACON, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Night
Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: VFR
Mission: Personal
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class D ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Single Pilot
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Confusion; Distraction
Anomaly: Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Chart Or Publication; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure; Airspace Structure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I was approaching to land at ZZZ; an airport I have flown to only during the day a few times; from the Southeast on a night with a Waxing Crescent moon. Not much moonlight being available. The course that I previously plotted for entering the airspace heading to the airport on Foreflight was close to directly over ZZZ1. This was purposely chosen to avoid the high terrain close to the 130 radial from ZZZ2 that I noted during planning. Once I made contact with the Tower frequency; I was instructed to enter a right base for Runway XXR. I had a descent rate that allowed me to get fairly close to the pattern altitude as I was entering the airspace; which put me on a collision course with the high terrain. I did not notice it in the moment; as I was scanning outside for traffic and beginning to prepare the aircraft to land. As I was scanning outside; I noticed that I was beginning to lose sight of the south part of the Airport. I moved my eyes around a bit more; and could just faintly see the outline of a dark mountain in front of me (which ended up being about a mile and a half out in front). I quickly applied full power and banked slightly right to change my course; which was more than enough to almost immediately regain sight of the Airport and avoid the terrain.I did notice that this dark terrain was close to the horizontal path of Runway XY; which could be dangerous for VFR aircraft approaching the airport from this direction too. I was able to get back on base and make a normal landing. There are many small things that led up to this situation occurring. I did correctly note this high terrain in preflight planning; but I personally failed to keep it in mind as I was preparing to land and could not easily visually see it until I was very close to it. This situation could have been fully avoided by flying in to the airport airspace from around the 080 to 100 radials; or even from a more northern course. I could have also planned to reach pattern altitude closer to the airport; rather than aiming to be at it upon entry to the airspace (unlike what I have been used to with airports that have usually flat terrain around them). From what I remember; the obstacle database in this airplane has not been updated in a long time. However; having the top of the terrain lit up somehow could have also greatly helped in avoiding it from afar visually in very dark conditions such as this night. I have personally learned a lot from this situation with pre-flight planning along with noting obstacles along the way (visually seen and checking all tools available to make sure I am clear on my path in conditions where I may not be able to see as well). I will now consider filing instrument flight plans or just simply not fly in dark conditions to destinations within mountainous terrain areas to totally avoid situations like this.




Synopsis: Pilot conducting a night VFR flight reported they had to take evasive action to avoid high terrain while descending to enter the pattern at pattern altitude.