Narrative:

After back taxiing on runway 27 to the taxiway, I decided to park the aircraft between 2 other planes. While on the taxiway, I decided to taxi through the grass area, so the plane could be positioned correctly without backing the plane into the tie-down location manually. The grass area appeared to be well maintained (thick grass, recently cut, no visible weeds, rocks, debris, etc). After traveling approximately 50' through the grass, the nose of the aircraft suddenly dropped, the plane stopped forward motion, and the propeller struck the turf, stopping the engine. One blade traveled into the ground and back out, the second blade was stopped halfway through the turf. I exited the plane to inspect the situation more closely. I found my front landing gear to be positioned in a hold approximately 15 inches in diameter by 15 inches deep. With the exception of the hole, the surrounding area was found to be acceptable for taxi operations. The turf appeared to be a thick stand of planted fescue, cut to about 4-5 inches. The thickness and height of the turf basically camouflaged the hole so that it could not be seen through the windscreen when in the plane. Although no airport facility employee was at the airport at the time of the occurrence, I found the hold to be backfilled by noontime the next day, when I arrived at the airport to meet with a mechanic to remove the propeller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE TAXIING OFF OF TXWY AND INTO GRASS AREA NOSE GEAR TAXIED INTO HOLE. PROPELLER DAMAGED.

Narrative: AFTER BACK TAXIING ON RWY 27 TO THE TXWY, I DECIDED TO PARK THE ACFT BETWEEN 2 OTHER PLANES. WHILE ON THE TXWY, I DECIDED TO TAXI THROUGH THE GRASS AREA, SO THE PLANE COULD BE POSITIONED CORRECTLY WITHOUT BACKING THE PLANE INTO THE TIE-DOWN LOCATION MANUALLY. THE GRASS AREA APPEARED TO BE WELL MAINTAINED (THICK GRASS, RECENTLY CUT, NO VISIBLE WEEDS, ROCKS, DEBRIS, ETC). AFTER TRAVELING APPROX 50' THROUGH THE GRASS, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT SUDDENLY DROPPED, THE PLANE STOPPED FORWARD MOTION, AND THE PROP STRUCK THE TURF, STOPPING THE ENGINE. ONE BLADE TRAVELED INTO THE GND AND BACK OUT, THE SECOND BLADE WAS STOPPED HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURF. I EXITED THE PLANE TO INSPECT THE SITUATION MORE CLOSELY. I FOUND MY FRONT LNDG GEAR TO BE POSITIONED IN A HOLD APPROX 15 INCHES IN DIAMETER BY 15 INCHES DEEP. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HOLE, THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS FOUND TO BE ACCEPTABLE FOR TAXI OPERATIONS. THE TURF APPEARED TO BE A THICK STAND OF PLANTED FESCUE, CUT TO ABOUT 4-5 INCHES. THE THICKNESS AND HEIGHT OF THE TURF BASICALLY CAMOUFLAGED THE HOLE SO THAT IT COULD NOT BE SEEN THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN WHEN IN THE PLANE. ALTHOUGH NO ARPT FACILITY EMPLOYEE WAS AT THE ARPT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, I FOUND THE HOLD TO BE BACKFILLED BY NOONTIME THE NEXT DAY, WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT TO MEET WITH A MECHANIC TO REMOVE THE PROP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.