Aircraft damaged. Pilot strikes a gopher hole while parking on a sod strip and damaged propeller.

Attributes
ACN	307530
Time
Date	199505
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1u8
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 170 flight time type : 166
ASRS Report	307530
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

VFR slc-sun. Held at slc by clearance delivery 45 mins. WX on route VFR but rain and light to moderate turbulence. Advised by twin falls approach sun valley 20 mi visibility 8000 ft scattered 10000 ft broken. Continued VFR to hailey NDB. Friedman (sun valley) approach indicated 20 mi visibility, 8000 ft scattered, 10000 ft broken. Advised approach control of squall over bellevue (city at mouth of canyon over which you must fly) 'roger squall, but I think you could fly around it.' held at NDB 10 mins, no squall movement, elected to land 1u8 picabo, grass strip 3000 LF. Missed first approach. Plus or minus 20 KT crosswind. Second approach successful. Landed without incident. Parked aircraft at west end of airport behind gas station. Grass very high (plus 8 inches) and wet with continuing rain. Garage mechanic told me where tie-downs were. I started plane and taxied to tie- downs (plus or minus 50 ft). At tie-downs, nosewheel went through gofer hole, washout, propeller hit grass and small (less than or equal to 1/2 inch) gravels. Motor did not stop nor lose RPM. On shutdown, noticed nicks on leading edge tips of propeller. Called FBO. Instructor came to pick me up, brought mechanic who later removed and replaced propeller and flew aircraft back to FBO under ferry permit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED. PLT STRIKES A GOPHER HOLE WHILE PARKING ON A SOD STRIP AND DAMAGED PROP.

Narrative: VFR SLC-SUN. HELD AT SLC BY CLRNC DELIVERY 45 MINS. WX ON RTE VFR BUT RAIN AND LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. ADVISED BY TWIN FALLS APCH SUN VALLEY 20 MI VISIBILITY 8000 FT SCATTERED 10000 FT BROKEN. CONTINUED VFR TO HAILEY NDB. FRIEDMAN (SUN VALLEY) APCH INDICATED 20 MI VISIBILITY, 8000 FT SCATTERED, 10000 FT BROKEN. ADVISED APCH CTL OF SQUALL OVER BELLEVUE (CITY AT MOUTH OF CANYON OVER WHICH YOU MUST FLY) 'ROGER SQUALL, BUT I THINK YOU COULD FLY AROUND IT.' HELD AT NDB 10 MINS, NO SQUALL MOVEMENT, ELECTED TO LAND 1U8 PICABO, GRASS STRIP 3000 LF. MISSED FIRST APCH. PLUS OR MINUS 20 KT XWIND. SECOND APCH SUCCESSFUL. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PARKED ACFT AT W END OF ARPT BEHIND GAS STATION. GRASS VERY HIGH (PLUS 8 INCHES) AND WET WITH CONTINUING RAIN. GARAGE MECH TOLD ME WHERE TIE-DOWNS WERE. I STARTED PLANE AND TAXIED TO TIE- DOWNS (PLUS OR MINUS 50 FT). AT TIE-DOWNS, NOSEWHEEL WENT THROUGH GOFER HOLE, WASHOUT, PROP HIT GRASS AND SMALL (LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 1/2 INCH) GRAVELS. MOTOR DID NOT STOP NOR LOSE RPM. ON SHUTDOWN, NOTICED NICKS ON LEADING EDGE TIPS OF PROP. CALLED FBO. INSTRUCTOR CAME TO PICK ME UP, BROUGHT MECH WHO LATER REMOVED AND REPLACED PROP AND FLEW ACFT BACK TO FBO UNDER FERRY PERMIT.

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.