Small aircraft taxiway excursion hit runway sign. Aircraft damage.

Attributes
ACN	315881
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fcm
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	315881
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Small aircraft X from sd to flying cloud airport, mn. Aircraft landing light failed in flight. Landing was made with no problem on runway 27L. Taxied off runway and had a short delay on taxiway to look up the FBO to which we needed taxi directions. We were given taxi directions to FBO aviation by taxiing east along runway 27L-9R, across runway 36, left turn to the north across runway 27L, past the windsock and to the ramp. When going across runway 27L the taxiway was only lit by 2 blue lights immediately on the north side, or adjacent to runway 27L. No other taxiway lights were provided for the next 600-700 ft to the ramp nor were there any lights marking the edge of the ramp. When I had gone to where I thought I was on the ramp I turned about 30 degrees to the right to head over to FBO aviation and ran into the back side of the unlit runway sign for runway 27R- 9L knocking it off its mounting posts. 1 propeller blade was bent about 1 inch back at the tip and the fiberglass nosewheel paint was damaged. I called the tower and told them I had run into the sign. No one was injured. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: tower supervisor stated there are no taxiway lights on the north side of the runway 27R. The txwys have reflectors except for exit points which have blue taxiway lights. Airport management has an improvement plan which will add taxiway lights to txwys.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TXWY EXCURSION HIT RWY SIGN. ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: SMA X FROM SD TO FLYING CLOUD ARPT, MN. ACFT LNDG LIGHT FAILED IN FLT. LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO PROB ON RWY 27L. TAXIED OFF RWY AND HAD A SHORT DELAY ON TXWY TO LOOK UP THE FBO TO WHICH WE NEEDED TAXI DIRECTIONS. WE WERE GIVEN TAXI DIRECTIONS TO FBO AVIATION BY TAXIING E ALONG RWY 27L-9R, ACROSS RWY 36, L TURN TO THE N ACROSS RWY 27L, PAST THE WINDSOCK AND TO THE RAMP. WHEN GOING ACROSS RWY 27L THE TXWY WAS ONLY LIT BY 2 BLUE LIGHTS IMMEDIATELY ON THE N SIDE, OR ADJACENT TO RWY 27L. NO OTHER TXWY LIGHTS WERE PROVIDED FOR THE NEXT 600-700 FT TO THE RAMP NOR WERE THERE ANY LIGHTS MARKING THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. WHEN I HAD GONE TO WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE RAMP I TURNED ABOUT 30 DEGS TO THE R TO HEAD OVER TO FBO AVIATION AND RAN INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE UNLIT RWY SIGN FOR RWY 27R- 9L KNOCKING IT OFF ITS MOUNTING POSTS. 1 PROP BLADE WAS BENT ABOUT 1 INCH BACK AT THE TIP AND THE FIBERGLASS NOSEWHEEL PAINT WAS DAMAGED. I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I HAD RUN INTO THE SIGN. NO ONE WAS INJURED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR SUPVR STATED THERE ARE NO TXWY LIGHTS ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY 27R. THE TXWYS HAVE REFLECTORS EXCEPT FOR EXIT POINTS WHICH HAVE BLUE TXWY LIGHTS. ARPT MGMNT HAS AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN WHICH WILL ADD TXWY LIGHTS TO TXWYS.

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.