Narrative:

Upon landing at marathon airport, another aircraft announced short final. Being anxious to clear the runway I saw that I was near the FBO parking ramp and pulled to my right at a slow taxi speed in order to clear the active. No runway or taxiway lights were on at the time and visibility was reduced due to dusk. I noticed a runway light, or at least what appeared to be a light colored object, just to my right, but too close to stop or avoid striking it with the propeller on my right engine. There was a slight bend in the propeller tip and a chip about 1/4 inch by 1 inch missing at the tip. On this airport there was no distinguishable difference in the runway and the parking ramp particularly in low light conditions. Both are concrete of the same color, and it appeared that the yellow lines marking the edge had faded somewhat. Had I completed my rollout and made a 90 degree turn into the FBO I probably would have noticed the light. Had the lights been turned on earlier I definitely would have noticed it. The bend at the tip was easily straightened by using clamps and hardwood boards, and the chip was smoothed with a file. Ground run-up indicated no vibration and a comparison with the left engine showed no difference at all. Flight test gave similar results and no differences could be ascertained in performance in-flight. I should not have allowed a following aircraft to hasten my exit from the runway except in the event of an emergency more apparent than existed. I should be more vigilant under low light conditions and perhaps use my landing lights well in advance of airport lights being turned on. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the repair to the propeller was accomplished by an FBO mechanic and appropriately written up in the aircraft log (beech 55 model aircraft).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMT STRUCK A RWY LIGHT DURING EXITING THE RWY AFTER LNDG CAUSING DAMAGE TO ONE OF THE PROP BLADES.

Narrative: UPON LNDG AT MARATHON ARPT, ANOTHER ACFT ANNOUNCED SHORT FINAL. BEING ANXIOUS TO CLR THE RWY I SAW THAT I WAS NEAR THE FBO PARKING RAMP AND PULLED TO MY R AT A SLOW TAXI SPD IN ORDER TO CLR THE ACTIVE. NO RWY OR TXWY LIGHTS WERE ON AT THE TIME AND VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED DUE TO DUSK. I NOTICED A RWY LIGHT, OR AT LEAST WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LIGHT COLORED OBJECT, JUST TO MY RIGHT, BUT TOO CLOSE TO STOP OR AVOID STRIKING IT WITH THE PROP ON MY R ENG. THERE WAS A SLIGHT BEND IN THE PROP TIP AND A CHIP ABOUT 1/4 INCH BY 1 INCH MISSING AT THE TIP. ON THIS ARPT THERE WAS NO DISTINGUISHABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE RWY AND THE PARKING RAMP PARTICULARLY IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. BOTH ARE CONCRETE OF THE SAME COLOR, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE YELLOW LINES MARKING THE EDGE HAD FADED SOMEWHAT. HAD I COMPLETED MY ROLLOUT AND MADE A 90 DEG TURN INTO THE FBO I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE LIGHT. HAD THE LIGHTS BEEN TURNED ON EARLIER I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT. THE BEND AT THE TIP WAS EASILY STRAIGHTENED BY USING CLAMPS AND HARDWOOD BOARDS, AND THE CHIP WAS SMOOTHED WITH A FILE. GND RUN-UP INDICATED NO VIBRATION AND A COMPARISON WITH THE L ENG SHOWED NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. FLT TEST GAVE SIMILAR RESULTS AND NO DIFFERENCES COULD BE ASCERTAINED IN PERFORMANCE INFLT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED A FOLLOWING ACFT TO HASTEN MY EXIT FROM THE RWY EXCEPT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMER MORE APPARENT THAN EXISTED. I SHOULD BE MORE VIGILANT UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS AND PERHAPS USE MY LNDG LIGHTS WELL IN ADVANCE OF ARPT LIGHTS BEING TURNED ON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE REPAIR TO THE PROP WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY AN FBO MECH AND APPROPRIATELY WRITTEN UP IN THE ACFT LOG (BEECH 55 MODEL ACFT).

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.