Narrative:

I had flown into westmoreland county for an air show and was parked in a grassy area northeast of a taxiway that runs along the left side of runway 21. The aircraft was not tied down. I cancelled my return to youngstown for the evening and decided that since the forecast called for a chance of thunderstorms, I had better get the aircraft either hangared or at least tied down. I called XXXX aviation from my father's home in nearby ligonier. The FBO advised me that no one was available to tow the aircraft and that the best I could do was chock the wheels. I asked if there were tiedowns available and they said there were. At the airport, a security man delivered me to the aircraft and escorted my father to a gate where we would exit. The officer drove me along the taxiway and shined his spotlight on the aircraft in the area where I was to park. The area had no taxiway lights and no flood lights. I started the aircraft, turned on my landing light, taxi light, navigation lights and beacon, then called ground control for a clearance to taxi. The controller said that I was not in sight but he would turn on the runway lights to help me. When I got on the taxiway, I told the controller I would taxi on the taxiway to the parking area. As I got near to the parking area I could see aircraft tied down to my left but could not see tiedown ropes. The area was very black. I turned to the left, thinking that I was at the edge of the parking area, in order to shine my lights over the ramp and look for tiedown ropes. Just after turning, I realized I was on grass. Immediately after this realization the aircraft overran a drainage grate which ruptured the nose wheel tire. The nosewheel rolled about 1' over the grate (which was about 6' above ground level) and dropped off the edge. The propeller then struck the rising ground on the opposite side of the grate. I immediately cut the throttle and the mixture. The engine continued to run while it expended the remaining fuel in the line (approximately 5 seconds). The main problem in this case was lack of adequate lighting and taxiway markings. Other areas on the airport were marked with blue taxiway lights but the area where I was had none. The taxiway centerline was clearly marked but there were no yellow 'lead-in' lines to the parking area. Also I believe that if the drainage grate had been flush with the surface, there would have been no damage to my aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROPELLER STRIKE CAUSED BY TAXI INTO AREA THAT WAS UNLIGHTED AND UNMARKED.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN INTO WESTMORELAND COUNTY FOR AN AIR SHOW AND WAS PARKED IN A GRASSY AREA NE OF A TXWY THAT RUNS ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 21. THE ACFT WAS NOT TIED DOWN. I CANCELLED MY RETURN TO YOUNGSTOWN FOR THE EVENING AND DECIDED THAT SINCE THE FORECAST CALLED FOR A CHANCE OF TSTMS, I HAD BETTER GET THE ACFT EITHER HANGARED OR AT LEAST TIED DOWN. I CALLED XXXX AVIATION FROM MY FATHER'S HOME IN NEARBY LIGONIER. THE FBO ADVISED ME THAT NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO TOW THE ACFT AND THAT THE BEST I COULD DO WAS CHOCK THE WHEELS. I ASKED IF THERE WERE TIEDOWNS AVAILABLE AND THEY SAID THERE WERE. AT THE ARPT, A SECURITY MAN DELIVERED ME TO THE ACFT AND ESCORTED MY FATHER TO A GATE WHERE WE WOULD EXIT. THE OFFICER DROVE ME ALONG THE TXWY AND SHINED HIS SPOTLIGHT ON THE ACFT IN THE AREA WHERE I WAS TO PARK. THE AREA HAD NO TXWY LIGHTS AND NO FLOOD LIGHTS. I STARTED THE ACFT, TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT, TAXI LIGHT, NAVIGATION LIGHTS AND BEACON, THEN CALLED GND CTL FOR A CLRNC TO TAXI. THE CTLR SAID THAT I WAS NOT IN SIGHT BUT HE WOULD TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS TO HELP ME. WHEN I GOT ON THE TXWY, I TOLD THE CTLR I WOULD TAXI ON THE TXWY TO THE PARKING AREA. AS I GOT NEAR TO THE PARKING AREA I COULD SEE ACFT TIED DOWN TO MY LEFT BUT COULD NOT SEE TIEDOWN ROPES. THE AREA WAS VERY BLACK. I TURNED TO THE LEFT, THINKING THAT I WAS AT THE EDGE OF THE PARKING AREA, IN ORDER TO SHINE MY LIGHTS OVER THE RAMP AND LOOK FOR TIEDOWN ROPES. JUST AFTER TURNING, I REALIZED I WAS ON GRASS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS REALIZATION THE ACFT OVERRAN A DRAINAGE GRATE WHICH RUPTURED THE NOSE WHEEL TIRE. THE NOSEWHEEL ROLLED ABOUT 1' OVER THE GRATE (WHICH WAS ABOUT 6' ABOVE GND LEVEL) AND DROPPED OFF THE EDGE. THE PROPELLER THEN STRUCK THE RISING GND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE GRATE. I IMMEDIATELY CUT THE THROTTLE AND THE MIXTURE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN WHILE IT EXPENDED THE REMAINING FUEL IN THE LINE (APPROX 5 SECONDS). THE MAIN PROBLEM IN THIS CASE WAS LACK OF ADEQUATE LIGHTING AND TXWY MARKINGS. OTHER AREAS ON THE ARPT WERE MARKED WITH BLUE TXWY LIGHTS BUT THE AREA WHERE I WAS HAD NONE. THE TXWY CENTERLINE WAS CLEARLY MARKED BUT THERE WERE NO YELLOW 'LEAD-IN' LINES TO THE PARKING AREA. ALSO I BELIEVE THAT IF THE DRAINAGE GRATE HAD BEEN FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO DAMAGE TO MY ACFT.

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.