Narrative:

My intentions were to fly a C-172 from buffalo airport (9 mi south of amarillo, tx) to amarillo international, and leave the airplane at amarillo international. However, the airplane had just finished some maintenance work. Therefore, before I was going to fly the plane to amarillo international, I was going to perform a taxi check. If the plane would have proved airworthy, then I was going to proceed back to the hangar to call someone to pick me up at amarillo international and take me back to my car at buffalo airport. As I was taxiing, I noticed some fresh dirt that had been spread over an area that leads to the runway. (The airport is all grass with no designated taxi rtes. It's an uncontrolled field with a runway on one side of it.) the area where the fresh dirt has been spread was between some t-hangars and a fence. After passing the t-hangars, pilots normally make a 90 degree turn to go to the other side of the hangars and proceed to the runway. However, parallel with the t-hangars were some holes that had been dug to build new t-hangars. (I was not aware of this at the time). Around the holes was fresh dirt, some of which had been smoothed out. In addition, some of the holes were idented with stakes in the ground. However, the area where pilots normally taxi across had no warning signs except the fresh dirt. I decided to slowly taxi up to the area to see if it looked safe. As I proceeded a little closer, I noticed some holes so I decided to turn around and figure out another route. As soon as I started to turn, the nose wheel fell into a hole causing the propeller to hit the ground. The hole was about 10 inches wide and approximately 2 ft deep. The bottom of the cowling hit the ground before the nose wheel hit the bottom of the hole. The engine quit after the propeller made 2 strikes into the ground. I immediately shut off all fuel and electrical switches. I had no injuries, but the propeller was slightly bent and the engine was going to have to be inspected. There was no other evident damage. The problem could have been corrected in many ways. First, the area of construction (approximately 500 ft by 20 ft) was so inadequately marked that it lead me to believe that it was safe. Second, it was only my third time at the airport so I was still relatively unfamiliar with its layout. After seeing the fresh dirt, I should have shut the airplane off and inspected the area by walking around, or by proceeding back to the hangar and asking airport personnel what their recommendation would be.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR TAXIED INTO UNMARKED HOLE.

Narrative: MY INTENTIONS WERE TO FLY A C-172 FROM BUFFALO ARPT (9 MI S OF AMARILLO, TX) TO AMARILLO INTL, AND LEAVE THE AIRPLANE AT AMARILLO INTL. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST FINISHED SOME MAINT WORK. THEREFORE, BEFORE I WAS GOING TO FLY THE PLANE TO AMARILLO INTL, I WAS GOING TO PERFORM A TAXI CHK. IF THE PLANE WOULD HAVE PROVED AIRWORTHY, THEN I WAS GOING TO PROCEED BACK TO THE HANGAR TO CALL SOMEONE TO PICK ME UP AT AMARILLO INTL AND TAKE ME BACK TO MY CAR AT BUFFALO ARPT. AS I WAS TAXIING, I NOTICED SOME FRESH DIRT THAT HAD BEEN SPREAD OVER AN AREA THAT LEADS TO THE RWY. (THE ARPT IS ALL GRASS WITH NO DESIGNATED TAXI RTES. IT'S AN UNCTLED FIELD WITH A RWY ON ONE SIDE OF IT.) THE AREA WHERE THE FRESH DIRT HAS BEEN SPREAD WAS BTWN SOME T-HANGARS AND A FENCE. AFTER PASSING THE T-HANGARS, PLTS NORMALLY MAKE A 90 DEG TURN TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HANGARS AND PROCEED TO THE RWY. HOWEVER, PARALLEL WITH THE T-HANGARS WERE SOME HOLES THAT HAD BEEN DUG TO BUILD NEW T-HANGARS. (I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS AT THE TIME). AROUND THE HOLES WAS FRESH DIRT, SOME OF WHICH HAD BEEN SMOOTHED OUT. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE HOLES WERE IDENTED WITH STAKES IN THE GND. HOWEVER, THE AREA WHERE PLTS NORMALLY TAXI ACROSS HAD NO WARNING SIGNS EXCEPT THE FRESH DIRT. I DECIDED TO SLOWLY TAXI UP TO THE AREA TO SEE IF IT LOOKED SAFE. AS I PROCEEDED A LITTLE CLOSER, I NOTICED SOME HOLES SO I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND FIGURE OUT ANOTHER RTE. AS SOON AS I STARTED TO TURN, THE NOSE WHEEL FELL INTO A HOLE CAUSING THE PROP TO HIT THE GND. THE HOLE WAS ABOUT 10 INCHES WIDE AND APPROX 2 FT DEEP. THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING HIT THE GND BEFORE THE NOSE WHEEL HIT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE. THE ENG QUIT AFTER THE PROP MADE 2 STRIKES INTO THE GND. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF ALL FUEL AND ELECTRICAL SWITCHES. I HAD NO INJURIES, BUT THE PROP WAS SLIGHTLY BENT AND THE ENG WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE INSPECTED. THERE WAS NO OTHER EVIDENT DAMAGE. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED IN MANY WAYS. FIRST, THE AREA OF CONSTRUCTION (APPROX 500 FT BY 20 FT) WAS SO INADEQUATELY MARKED THAT IT LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS SAFE. SECOND, IT WAS ONLY MY THIRD TIME AT THE ARPT SO I WAS STILL RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH ITS LAYOUT. AFTER SEEING THE FRESH DIRT, I SHOULD HAVE SHUT THE AIRPLANE OFF AND INSPECTED THE AREA BY WALKING AROUND, OR BY PROCEEDING BACK TO THE HANGAR AND ASKING ARPT PERSONNEL WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE.

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.