Narrative:

While taxiing to the active runway 18 at conway, ar, I had to cross runway 7/25. It was after dark, there is a slight bend in the taxiway, and the taxiway lights were spaced far enough apart that the taxiway course was a little unclr. I missed the bend in the taxiway and the nose of the aircraft dropped off the taxiway and into the dirt alongside it. The ground was quite soft, so the nosewheel sank far enough to cause the propeller to strike the ground. Damage to the aircraft was confined to 1 propeller blade and minor damage to the right outboard wing underside. The FAA was notified, and has classified this as an 'incident.' fatigue may have been a factor, but I feel the primary cause was inadequate lighting along the taxiway, specifically that the taxiway lights were spaced too far apart to mark the path clearly, especially in the light of the bend in the taxiway where it crosses runway 7/25. I had slowed the aircraft down just before reaching the ditch because I felt something was wrong, but was not able to see what was happening in time to stop, because the nose pitched forward quite suddenly. It would also be advisable to place drainage ditches further away from runways and txwys, to allow a gentler slope and more time for the pilot to react if he inadvertently leaves the paved surface, as I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED INTO A DITCH ALONGSIDE OF THE TXWY AT NIGHT RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT'S PROP AND WINGTIP AREA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE RWY 18 AT CONWAY, AR, I HAD TO CROSS RWY 7/25. IT WAS AFTER DARK, THERE IS A SLIGHT BEND IN THE TXWY, AND THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE SPACED FAR ENOUGH APART THAT THE TXWY COURSE WAS A LITTLE UNCLR. I MISSED THE BEND IN THE TXWY AND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT DROPPED OFF THE TXWY AND INTO THE DIRT ALONGSIDE IT. THE GND WAS QUITE SOFT, SO THE NOSEWHEEL SANK FAR ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE PROP TO STRIKE THE GND. DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS CONFINED TO 1 PROP BLADE AND MINOR DAMAGE TO THE R OUTBOARD WING UNDERSIDE. THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED, AND HAS CLASSIFIED THIS AS AN 'INCIDENT.' FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR, BUT I FEEL THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS INADEQUATE LIGHTING ALONG THE TXWY, SPECIFICALLY THAT THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE SPACED TOO FAR APART TO MARK THE PATH CLRLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF THE BEND IN THE TXWY WHERE IT CROSSES RWY 7/25. I HAD SLOWED THE ACFT DOWN JUST BEFORE REACHING THE DITCH BECAUSE I FELT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN TIME TO STOP, BECAUSE THE NOSE PITCHED FORWARD QUITE SUDDENLY. IT WOULD ALSO BE ADVISABLE TO PLACE DRAINAGE DITCHES FURTHER AWAY FROM RWYS AND TXWYS, TO ALLOW A GENTLER SLOPE AND MORE TIME FOR THE PLT TO REACT IF HE INADVERTENTLY LEAVES THE PAVED SURFACE, AS I DID.

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.