Narrative:

I landed and turned down the taxiway 4/5 the way down runway 33. This taxiway leads to a ramp area in front of an FBO building, turns 45 degree to the northwest and slightly uphill past t-hangars and then back around to the other end of the runway, or, the approach end of runway 15. Not knowing the small aircraft's intentions, I decided to follow the taxiway to the other end of the runway to stay out of his way. This would also afford me the opportunity to see if a friend, who bases his plane at oqw was at his hangar. My airplane is a tail dragger biplane soloed from the rear seat. As with all tail draggers, the forward visibility is not great and s- turns must be executed on the ground for forward visibility. Since the taxiway was narrow, my s-turns were shallow. To make matters worse, at this time of the day the sun was low on the horizon and had a somewhat blinding effect. I was wearing sunglasses at the time. As I approached the area in front of the t-hangars, I heard a large bang, felt a terrific vibration through the airframe and saw a blur of white material thrown on either side of the airplane. I immediately killed the engine. To my amazement and dismay, I saw pieces of a road construction type barricade cut in 2 by my propeller. Its heavy angle iron and plywood construction bent one propeller tip and cut a 3/4 inch deep by 1/2 inch wide gash 6 inches from the other tip. After completely shutting down the airplane and inspecting it for any other damage (there was none), I walked to the unattended FBO building and called the oqw airport manager. I informed him of the situation and my misfortune. He told me that maquoketa city workers, that afternoon, had seal-coated with tar and pea gravel the ramp area in front of the t- hangars. The road barricades were placed at each of the ramp entrances, at his insistence, to ironically prevent propellers from being nicked and dinged by loose gravel. He arrived at the airport within 1 1/2 hours to assess the situation and open a hangar for me to store the airplane until I could get a replacement propeller. While I waited for him to arrive at the airport, I called the ft dodge FSS to check if any NOTAMS had been filed at oqw regarding the closed taxiway. They reported no NOTAMS were on file for oqw.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE, TAIL DRAGGER TAXIES INTO BARRICADE.

Narrative: I LANDED AND TURNED DOWN THE TAXIWAY 4/5 THE WAY DOWN RWY 33. THIS TAXIWAY LEADS TO A RAMP AREA IN FRONT OF AN FBO BUILDING, TURNS 45 DEG TO THE NW AND SLIGHTLY UPHILL PAST T-HANGARS AND THEN BACK AROUND TO THE OTHER END OF THE RWY, OR, THE APCH END OF RWY 15. NOT KNOWING THE SMA'S INTENTIONS, I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE TAXIWAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE RWY TO STAY OUT OF HIS WAY. THIS WOULD ALSO AFFORD ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE IF A FRIEND, WHO BASES HIS PLANE AT OQW WAS AT HIS HANGAR. MY AIRPLANE IS A TAIL DRAGGER BIPLANE SOLOED FROM THE REAR SEAT. AS WITH ALL TAIL DRAGGERS, THE FORWARD VISIBILITY IS NOT GREAT AND S- TURNS MUST BE EXECUTED ON THE GND FOR FORWARD VISIBILITY. SINCE THE TAXIWAY WAS NARROW, MY S-TURNS WERE SHALLOW. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, AT THIS TIME OF THE DAY THE SUN WAS LOW ON THE HORIZON AND HAD A SOMEWHAT BLINDING EFFECT. I WAS WEARING SUNGLASSES AT THE TIME. AS I APCHED THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE T-HANGARS, I HEARD A LARGE BANG, FELT A TERRIFIC VIBRATION THROUGH THE AIRFRAME AND SAW A BLUR OF WHITE MATERIAL THROWN ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. I IMMEDIATELY KILLED THE ENG. TO MY AMAZEMENT AND DISMAY, I SAW PIECES OF A ROAD CONSTRUCTION TYPE BARRICADE CUT IN 2 BY MY PROP. ITS HVY ANGLE IRON AND PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION BENT ONE PROP TIP AND CUT A 3/4 INCH DEEP BY 1/2 INCH WIDE GASH 6 INCHES FROM THE OTHER TIP. AFTER COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN THE AIRPLANE AND INSPECTING IT FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGE (THERE WAS NONE), I WALKED TO THE UNATTENDED FBO BUILDING AND CALLED THE OQW ARPT MGR. I INFORMED HIM OF THE SITUATION AND MY MISFORTUNE. HE TOLD ME THAT MAQUOKETA CITY WORKERS, THAT AFTERNOON, HAD SEAL-COATED WITH TAR AND PEA GRAVEL THE RAMP AREA IN FRONT OF THE T- HANGARS. THE ROAD BARRICADES WERE PLACED AT EACH OF THE RAMP ENTRANCES, AT HIS INSISTENCE, TO IRONICALLY PREVENT PROPS FROM BEING NICKED AND DINGED BY LOOSE GRAVEL. HE ARRIVED AT THE ARPT WITHIN 1 1/2 HRS TO ASSESS THE SITUATION AND OPEN A HANGAR FOR ME TO STORE THE AIRPLANE UNTIL I COULD GET A REPLACEMENT PROP. WHILE I WAITED FOR HIM TO ARRIVE AT THE ARPT, I CALLED THE FT DODGE FSS TO CHK IF ANY NOTAMS HAD BEEN FILED AT OQW REGARDING THE CLOSED TAXIWAY. THEY RPTED NO NOTAMS WERE ON FILE FOR OQW.

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.