Narrative:

Trip had come up at last min. I had already worked a long day and tried to delay trip but customer required an immediate response. The only other time I had landed at tvr was immediately after construction of runway (original apron) to do stop and go landing. Approximately 15 NM south of field I picked up runway lights and a string of collision avoidance lights adjacent to runway 36 threshold. I noticed no other substantial lights in area and was duly diligent to stay on glide path (no VASI). I landed 'straight-in' on runway 36 and taxied to turnoff marked with approximately 8 blue taxi lights. Immediately after turning, and clearing these lights I was in total darkness except for landing lights. I slowly taxied to tie-downs using FBO building and a king air fueling for reference. I met my party who drove me to the job site. Upon completion we ate dinner returning to tvr at approximately XX30 local. During our drive to-from we each commented on how dark it was and hard to see. I proceeded to preflight aircraft at tie-down with airport manager. I started aircraft, verified functions, and proceeded to taxi. I was again taken with how dark it was and exercised due diligence to clear aircraft on tie-downs. Upon approaching turnoff to runway, I noticed a conglomeration of reflector poles with the aforementioned blue lights, no yellow taxi line was evident. While executing a right turn onto what I thought was taxiway, the plane immediately went forward, nosed-over with engine stopping. I immediately shut off switches, released seat belt and exited aircraft. Plane was found nose down in approximately 30 inch ditch faced with broken stone to left. Propeller damage was noted to right with wing against ground and tail 45 degrees to ground. Substantial cowling damage was noted to left side. I proceeded to FBO and met airport manager halfway, both of us verified stability of aircraft. Contacted emergency response. Plane was righted and secured. Substantial propeller and nose gear damage was noted, all damages forward of firewall. Obviously being tired did not help night vision, especially at a field new to pilot. Taxi lights on taxiway and immediately adjacent to ramp would have greatly helped. The existing reflectors-lights created an illusion of a taxiway. The pilot I contacted to pick me up also commented on the intense darkness and nonstandard markings as did the airport manager. Evidently other pilots have come close to doing same. Obviously postponing the flight would probably have negated this incident, but was not an option. Moreover, as I had logged over 500 night hours both IFR-VFR and executed 500 plus night lndgs at other airports, I did not feel this would result in this kind of problem. The incident occurred so rapidly that it was over before I figured out what happened. I later returned to tvr and found airport personnel modifying taxiway markings, to better delineate taxiway. Also on back is diagram showing arrangement of taxiway-apron-runway, note taxi stub-outs which added to illusion of asphalt in front of me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IN NIGHT TAXI ENTERS DITCH.

Narrative: TRIP HAD COME UP AT LAST MIN. I HAD ALREADY WORKED A LONG DAY AND TRIED TO DELAY TRIP BUT CUSTOMER REQUIRED AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. THE ONLY OTHER TIME I HAD LANDED AT TVR WAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONSTRUCTION OF RWY (ORIGINAL APRON) TO DO STOP AND GO LNDG. APPROX 15 NM S OF FIELD I PICKED UP RWY LIGHTS AND A STRING OF COLLISION AVOIDANCE LIGHTS ADJACENT TO RWY 36 THRESHOLD. I NOTICED NO OTHER SUBSTANTIAL LIGHTS IN AREA AND WAS DULY DILIGENT TO STAY ON GLIDE PATH (NO VASI). I LANDED 'STRAIGHT-IN' ON RWY 36 AND TAXIED TO TURNOFF MARKED WITH APPROX 8 BLUE TAXI LIGHTS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING, AND CLRING THESE LIGHTS I WAS IN TOTAL DARKNESS EXCEPT FOR LNDG LIGHTS. I SLOWLY TAXIED TO TIE-DOWNS USING FBO BUILDING AND A KING AIR FUELING FOR REF. I MET MY PARTY WHO DROVE ME TO THE JOB SITE. UPON COMPLETION WE ATE DINNER RETURNING TO TVR AT APPROX XX30 LCL. DURING OUR DRIVE TO-FROM WE EACH COMMENTED ON HOW DARK IT WAS AND HARD TO SEE. I PROCEEDED TO PREFLT ACFT AT TIE-DOWN WITH ARPT MGR. I STARTED ACFT, VERIFIED FUNCTIONS, AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI. I WAS AGAIN TAKEN WITH HOW DARK IT WAS AND EXERCISED DUE DILIGENCE TO CLR ACFT ON TIE-DOWNS. UPON APCHING TURNOFF TO RWY, I NOTICED A CONGLOMERATION OF REFLECTOR POLES WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED BLUE LIGHTS, NO YELLOW TAXI LINE WAS EVIDENT. WHILE EXECUTING A R TURN ONTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TXWY, THE PLANE IMMEDIATELY WENT FORWARD, NOSED-OVER WITH ENG STOPPING. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF SWITCHES, RELEASED SEAT BELT AND EXITED ACFT. PLANE WAS FOUND NOSE DOWN IN APPROX 30 INCH DITCH FACED WITH BROKEN STONE TO L. PROP DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO R WITH WING AGAINST GND AND TAIL 45 DEGS TO GND. SUBSTANTIAL COWLING DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO L SIDE. I PROCEEDED TO FBO AND MET ARPT MGR HALFWAY, BOTH OF US VERIFIED STABILITY OF ACFT. CONTACTED EMER RESPONSE. PLANE WAS RIGHTED AND SECURED. SUBSTANTIAL PROP AND NOSE GEAR DAMAGE WAS NOTED, ALL DAMAGES FORWARD OF FIREWALL. OBVIOUSLY BEING TIRED DID NOT HELP NIGHT VISION, ESPECIALLY AT A FIELD NEW TO PLT. TAXI LIGHTS ON TXWY AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO RAMP WOULD HAVE GREATLY HELPED. THE EXISTING REFLECTORS-LIGHTS CREATED AN ILLUSION OF A TXWY. THE PLT I CONTACTED TO PICK ME UP ALSO COMMENTED ON THE INTENSE DARKNESS AND NONSTANDARD MARKINGS AS DID THE ARPT MGR. EVIDENTLY OTHER PLTS HAVE COME CLOSE TO DOING SAME. OBVIOUSLY POSTPONING THE FLIGHT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE NEGATED THIS INCIDENT, BUT WAS NOT AN OPTION. MOREOVER, AS I HAD LOGGED OVER 500 NIGHT HRS BOTH IFR-VFR AND EXECUTED 500 PLUS NIGHT LNDGS AT OTHER ARPTS, I DID NOT FEEL THIS WOULD RESULT IN THIS KIND OF PROB. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED SO RAPIDLY THAT IT WAS OVER BEFORE I FIGURED OUT WHAT HAPPENED. I LATER RETURNED TO TVR AND FOUND ARPT PERSONNEL MODIFYING TXWY MARKINGS, TO BETTER DELINEATE TXWY. ALSO ON BACK IS DIAGRAM SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF TXWY-APRON-RWY, NOTE TAXI STUB-OUTS WHICH ADDED TO ILLUSION OF ASPHALT IN FRONT OF ME.

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.