Small aircraft pilot unfamiliar with airport taxies across grass runs into ditch, strikes propeller.

Attributes
ACN	153954
Time
Date	199008
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 3sz
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 3
ASRS Report	153954
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I decided to land at smartt field. This is an uncontrolled airport with paved runways and txwys. I was going to stop long enough to allow my passenger (my teen daughters) to have a soda and trade seats. I was taxiing between 2 open tie-downs preparing to park on one when the nose wheel went into an unobserved shallow ditch and the propeller tips struck the ground. I shut the engine down using normal procedures and was feeling very sick for being so very stupid. The area where I was taxiing appeared to be smooth and had been mowed. What's more, it appears to be an are where one would taxi to get into a tie-down parking spot. It was only after the incident that the local people told me everyone else stopped on the paved taxiway next to the tie-downs and pushed their aircraft backwards to park. I had flown into this same airport the week before and done exactly the same thing; i.e., taxi from pavement onto grass tie-down area, west/O any problem at all, and no one said a word then. I had made a right turn this time into the parking spot. Perhaps if I had been making a left turn I would have seen the ditch. Also making an inquiry on unicom re: parking would have helped. Just because aircraft are parked on the grass doesn't mean you can taxi on the grass (so I've learned).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH ARPT TAXIES ACROSS GRASS RUNS INTO DITCH, STRIKES PROPELLER.

Narrative: I DECIDED TO LAND AT SMARTT FIELD. THIS IS AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT WITH PAVED RWYS AND TXWYS. I WAS GOING TO STOP LONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW MY PAX (MY TEEN DAUGHTERS) TO HAVE A SODA AND TRADE SEATS. I WAS TAXIING BTWN 2 OPEN TIE-DOWNS PREPARING TO PARK ON ONE WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL WENT INTO AN UNOBSERVED SHALLOW DITCH AND THE PROP TIPS STRUCK THE GND. I SHUT THE ENG DOWN USING NORMAL PROCS AND WAS FEELING VERY SICK FOR BEING SO VERY STUPID. THE AREA WHERE I WAS TAXIING APPEARED TO BE SMOOTH AND HAD BEEN MOWED. WHAT'S MORE, IT APPEARS TO BE AN ARE WHERE ONE WOULD TAXI TO GET INTO A TIE-DOWN PARKING SPOT. IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THE LCL PEOPLE TOLD ME EVERYONE ELSE STOPPED ON THE PAVED TXWY NEXT TO THE TIE-DOWNS AND PUSHED THEIR ACFT BACKWARDS TO PARK. I HAD FLOWN INTO THIS SAME ARPT THE WK BEFORE AND DONE EXACTLY THE SAME THING; I.E., TAXI FROM PAVEMENT ONTO GRASS TIE-DOWN AREA, W/O ANY PROB AT ALL, AND NO ONE SAID A WORD THEN. I HAD MADE A RIGHT TURN THIS TIME INTO THE PARKING SPOT. PERHAPS IF I HAD BEEN MAKING A LEFT TURN I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE DITCH. ALSO MAKING AN INQUIRY ON UNICOM RE: PARKING WOULD HAVE HELPED. JUST BECAUSE ACFT ARE PARKED ON THE GRASS DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN TAXI ON THE GRASS (SO I'VE LEARNED).

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.