"Close Call" story time. I know too well because I've been in the situation of trying to land after dark but without having been trained to do do.
It was exactly last light when I reached my landing site, which was a reasonably well-lighted open space in the middle of a city. At that time I was not yet NVFR rated and, as I came in to land, started to focus on the lighted part at the bottom of the landing beam. It was the classic tunnel vision / black hole as the surrounding terrain turned dark to the eye due to contrast. I tried hard to spot the pad but everything else turned pitch black except for the landing beam. I had lost all peripheral visual references. It was a scary moment, never to be repeated again. I hope fellow pilots can also learn from my experience and survive.
Next time, if I don't like what I see, I'd switch off the lights.
