Narrative:

The aircraft was parked on the pavement in front of hangar, facing north, approximately 10' from the grass (in front of the aircraft). I considered it better to push the aircraft back so I did not have to taxi over the grass. After pushing it back about 20' I started the engine, gave full left rudder and some right brake to start turn toward east. Because the turn was not steep enough, the left main gear rolled off the pavement onto the grass. This did not cause any problem because the grass was dry and solid. I elected not to proceed with taxiing but rather to straighten the nose wheel and shut down the engine and then to push the aircraft back. (I had to straighten the nose wheel first because with the nose wheel to the right pushing it back would have placed the aircraft in the same situation as it was originally.) during this straightening of the nose wheel it went off the paved section (where it is curved) also onto the grass. I did not think that this would cause any harm to the aircraft because there was no sign of holes visible to me and my intention was not to taxi on the grass. This portion however was not solid and the nose wheel sank into the hidden hole. Before I could take action to stop the engine, the propeller blades struck the pavement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT'S SLOW TURN FROM PARKING AREA FAILS TO CLEAR GRASS AREA IN FRONT OF ACFT AND NOSE WHEEL FALLS INTO POTHOLE IN GRASS WITH ACFT PROPELLER STRIKING PAVEMENT.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE PAVEMENT IN FRONT OF HANGAR, FACING N, APPROX 10' FROM THE GRASS (IN FRONT OF THE ACFT). I CONSIDERED IT BETTER TO PUSH THE ACFT BACK SO I DID NOT HAVE TO TAXI OVER THE GRASS. AFTER PUSHING IT BACK ABOUT 20' I STARTED THE ENG, GAVE FULL LEFT RUDDER AND SOME RIGHT BRAKE TO START TURN TOWARD E. BECAUSE THE TURN WAS NOT STEEP ENOUGH, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ROLLED OFF THE PAVEMENT ONTO THE GRASS. THIS DID NOT CAUSE ANY PROB BECAUSE THE GRASS WAS DRY AND SOLID. I ELECTED NOT TO PROCEED WITH TAXIING BUT RATHER TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSE WHEEL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND THEN TO PUSH THE ACFT BACK. (I HAD TO STRAIGHTEN THE NOSE WHEEL FIRST BECAUSE WITH THE NOSE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT PUSHING IT BACK WOULD HAVE PLACED THE ACFT IN THE SAME SITUATION AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY.) DURING THIS STRAIGHTENING OF THE NOSE WHEEL IT WENT OFF THE PAVED SECTION (WHERE IT IS CURVED) ALSO ONTO THE GRASS. I DID NOT THINK THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE ANY HARM TO THE ACFT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SIGN OF HOLES VISIBLE TO ME AND MY INTENTION WAS NOT TO TAXI ON THE GRASS. THIS PORTION HOWEVER WAS NOT SOLID AND THE NOSE WHEEL SANK INTO THE HIDDEN HOLE. BEFORE I COULD TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE ENG, THE PROP BLADES STRUCK THE PAVEMENT.

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.