Narrative:

I was PIC of a piper arrow, the following event took place. I departed hef at approximately PM20 EST and headed northwest towards W16. The WX was clear with scattered clouds at 7000 ft and 25 mi visibility. It was totally dark with the only ground reference being the lights on the ground. When I was 10 mi from W16, I tuned in the AWOS (124.85) for the WX. The wind was stated to be 6 KTS at 240 degrees and the comment at the end of the WX broadcast said to use caution as men were working on the parallel taxiway. I attempted to call winchester unicom (122.7) twice without receiving an answer. The runway lights were on but no taxiway lights were visible. I clicked the microphone on 122.7 (5) times and the runway lights stayed the same intensity (low but adequate for landing). The AFD had stated that the taxiway lights were OTS at portions of the field. There were no taxiway lights illuminated anywhere on the airport. At approximately XX00 EST, I made a normal approach and landing on runway 32 into W16. I turned off the runway into the taxiway leading to the main terminal parking area. I was taxiing slowly and looking for any planes parked nearby when I heard a slight noise from the front of the aircraft. I immediately shut down the engine and departed the aircraft to see what caused the noise. I had gone off the right edge of the taxiway entrance to the terminal parking area and the propeller of the arrow had struck the lens of the taxiway light nearest the right side of the entrance. Further inspection showed that only the lens had been struck but not the shaft coming out of the ground. The propeller of the arrow was damaged so I called the owner to ask him to come and inspect how bad the damage was. He flew a mechanic up who inspected the damage and the decision was made to fly the plane back to hef. The owner flew the plane back to hef with no difficulty. There were high overhead lamps illuminating the terminal parking area and when shining down on the area it was difficult with no taxiway lights or other markings to define the edges of the taxiway entrance to the parking area. The AFD had said that the taxiway lights were 'OTS' but there were no ctrlines or taxiway edge markings drawn at the entrance to the parking area. The only difference between the surface where I went off the taxiway and the taxiway is that it was dirt instead of asphalt. There were no guard rails or other markings separating the 2 surfaces. The taxiway entrance is approximately 30 ft at this point. The terminal was closed and unattended so I could not find anybody to report the broken taxiway light to. I felt that even though the taxiway lights were inoperative, the airport should have provided better markings at the taxiway entrance to the terminal. I will be much more vigilant in the future when there are no or very poor taxiway markings on an airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PROP STRIKE ON TXWY LIGHT DURING TXWY EXCURSION IN A NIGHT OP. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A PIPER ARROW, THE FOLLOWING EVENT TOOK PLACE. I DEPARTED HEF AT APPROX PM20 EST AND HEADED NW TOWARDS W16. THE WX WAS CLR WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 7000 FT AND 25 MI VISIBILITY. IT WAS TOTALLY DARK WITH THE ONLY GND REF BEING THE LIGHTS ON THE GND. WHEN I WAS 10 MI FROM W16, I TUNED IN THE AWOS (124.85) FOR THE WX. THE WIND WAS STATED TO BE 6 KTS AT 240 DEGS AND THE COMMENT AT THE END OF THE WX BROADCAST SAID TO USE CAUTION AS MEN WERE WORKING ON THE PARALLEL TXWY. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL WINCHESTER UNICOM (122.7) TWICE WITHOUT RECEIVING AN ANSWER. THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ON BUT NO TXWY LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE. I CLICKED THE MIKE ON 122.7 (5) TIMES AND THE RWY LIGHTS STAYED THE SAME INTENSITY (LOW BUT ADEQUATE FOR LNDG). THE AFD HAD STATED THAT THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE OTS AT PORTIONS OF THE FIELD. THERE WERE NO TXWY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ANYWHERE ON THE ARPT. AT APPROX XX00 EST, I MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 32 INTO W16. I TURNED OFF THE RWY INTO THE TXWY LEADING TO THE MAIN TERMINAL PARKING AREA. I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY AND LOOKING FOR ANY PLANES PARKED NEARBY WHEN I HEARD A SLIGHT NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND DEPARTED THE ACFT TO SEE WHAT CAUSED THE NOISE. I HAD GONE OFF THE R EDGE OF THE TXWY ENTRANCE TO THE TERMINAL PARKING AREA AND THE PROP OF THE ARROW HAD STRUCK THE LENS OF THE TXWY LIGHT NEAREST THE R SIDE OF THE ENTRANCE. FURTHER INSPECTION SHOWED THAT ONLY THE LENS HAD BEEN STRUCK BUT NOT THE SHAFT COMING OUT OF THE GND. THE PROP OF THE ARROW WAS DAMAGED SO I CALLED THE OWNER TO ASK HIM TO COME AND INSPECT HOW BAD THE DAMAGE WAS. HE FLEW A MECH UP WHO INSPECTED THE DAMAGE AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY THE PLANE BACK TO HEF. THE OWNER FLEW THE PLANE BACK TO HEF WITH NO DIFFICULTY. THERE WERE HIGH OVERHEAD LAMPS ILLUMINATING THE TERMINAL PARKING AREA AND WHEN SHINING DOWN ON THE AREA IT WAS DIFFICULT WITH NO TXWY LIGHTS OR OTHER MARKINGS TO DEFINE THE EDGES OF THE TXWY ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING AREA. THE AFD HAD SAID THAT THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE 'OTS' BUT THERE WERE NO CTRLINES OR TXWY EDGE MARKINGS DRAWN AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING AREA. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BTWN THE SURFACE WHERE I WENT OFF THE TXWY AND THE TXWY IS THAT IT WAS DIRT INSTEAD OF ASPHALT. THERE WERE NO GUARD RAILS OR OTHER MARKINGS SEPARATING THE 2 SURFACES. THE TXWY ENTRANCE IS APPROX 30 FT AT THIS POINT. THE TERMINAL WAS CLOSED AND UNATTENDED SO I COULD NOT FIND ANYBODY TO RPT THE BROKEN TXWY LIGHT TO. I FELT THAT EVEN THOUGH THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE INOP, THE ARPT SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED BETTER MARKINGS AT THE TXWY ENTRANCE TO THE TERMINAL. I WILL BE MUCH MORE VIGILANT IN THE FUTURE WHEN THERE ARE NO OR VERY POOR TXWY MARKINGS ON AN ARPT.

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.