Narrative:

I was operating out of bur for a round-trip flight to las, with a 4-5 hour layover in las vegas. For return to bur, I filed a VFR flight plan with rno FSS. I was given a departure clearance by las clearance delivery. Las ground cleared me from FBO to runway 19R. I made my pre-takeoff run-up and checklist rundown in designated area of runway 19R. I reported ready for takeoff on 19R to tower behind 1 aircraft. I was held for 15-20 mins (approximately) for a succession of landing aircraft on runway 19R. Tower then advised he could get me out sooner from runway 19L. I said ok. He then cleared me to 19L and directed me to cross 19R to 19L. It was total darkness. I had my anti-collision and navigation lights on, but turned off taxi light so as not to distract landing aircraft on runways 19R and 19L. In crossing 19R to 19L, I encountered a crevice or depression, or a rock, putting me in a nose-down attitude and causing propeller to strike ground/rocks. I maneuvered aircraft off area and to run-up, pretkof area for runway 19L. Advising tower of my problem, I asked for and was given a clearance to return to the parking area. This was after I shut engine down, turned electrical off and got out of aircraft to inspect propeller damage. I believe 3 actions could have prevented this incident: 1) controller in giving clearance 'cross 19R' should have been more specific about hazard during night operations. 2) exception about landing light 'off' at night when at departure end of active runway--many planes landing made me feel it was safer for all to keep taxi landing light off when parked and doing short ground maneuver on/at landing sites. C) when cleared from 19R to 19L, I should have advised tower I was unfamiliar with airport and should have requested guidance to safely maneuver to the amended pretkof position--the rough shoulder may have been avoided.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ATTEMPTS TO TAXI AT NIGHT WITHOUT TAXI LIGHTS. PROPELLER TIP STRUCK ON OBSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING OUT OF BUR FOR A ROUND-TRIP FLT TO LAS, WITH A 4-5 HR LAYOVER IN LAS VEGAS. FOR RETURN TO BUR, I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH RNO FSS. I WAS GIVEN A DEP CLRNC BY LAS CLRNC DELIVERY. LAS GND CLRED ME FROM FBO TO RWY 19R. I MADE MY PRE-TKOF RUN-UP AND CHKLIST RUNDOWN IN DESIGNATED AREA OF RWY 19R. I RPTED READY FOR TKOF ON 19R TO TWR BEHIND 1 ACFT. I WAS HELD FOR 15-20 MINS (APPROX) FOR A SUCCESSION OF LNDG ACFT ON RWY 19R. TWR THEN ADVISED HE COULD GET ME OUT SOONER FROM RWY 19L. I SAID OK. HE THEN CLRED ME TO 19L AND DIRECTED ME TO CROSS 19R TO 19L. IT WAS TOTAL DARKNESS. I HAD MY ANTI-COLLISION AND NAV LIGHTS ON, BUT TURNED OFF TAXI LIGHT SO AS NOT TO DISTRACT LNDG ACFT ON RWYS 19R AND 19L. IN XING 19R TO 19L, I ENCOUNTERED A CREVICE OR DEPRESSION, OR A ROCK, PUTTING ME IN A NOSE-DOWN ATTITUDE AND CAUSING PROP TO STRIKE GND/ROCKS. I MANEUVERED ACFT OFF AREA AND TO RUN-UP, PRETKOF AREA FOR RWY 19L. ADVISING TWR OF MY PROB, I ASKED FOR AND WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO RETURN TO THE PARKING AREA. THIS WAS AFTER I SHUT ENG DOWN, TURNED ELECTRICAL OFF AND GOT OUT OF ACFT TO INSPECT PROP DAMAGE. I BELIEVE 3 ACTIONS COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT: 1) CTLR IN GIVING CLRNC 'CROSS 19R' SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT HAZARD DURING NIGHT OPS. 2) EXCEPTION ABOUT LNDG LIGHT 'OFF' AT NIGHT WHEN AT DEP END OF ACTIVE RWY--MANY PLANES LNDG MADE ME FEEL IT WAS SAFER FOR ALL TO KEEP TAXI LNDG LIGHT OFF WHEN PARKED AND DOING SHORT GND MANEUVER ON/AT LNDG SITES. C) WHEN CLRED FROM 19R TO 19L, I SHOULD HAVE ADVISED TWR I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT AND SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED GUIDANCE TO SAFELY MANEUVER TO THE AMENDED PRETKOF POS--THE ROUGH SHOULDER MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.