Narrative:

I am writing to report an event that occurred at the vero beach airport. Yesterday morning, at approximately XX15 am, my wife and I began what was to be an IFR flight to boca raton in my personal aircraft, aztec. We taxied out and proceeded into the blue lighted taxiway C3 when the left engine struck an unmarked barricade that evidently was positioned on the left side of the taxiway. Later that morning, I learned from an employee that another barricade, which was intended to guard the right side of the taxiway, had been blown down by the wind. That situation had not been corrected at the time I entered the taxiway. Considerable damage to the propeller was experienced. It is my understanding that a similar event occurred last night with tomahawk and I mention this in case it has not been brought to your attention. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there has been airport construction activity at vrb, with runway 29L/11R being closed as a result of this activity. Taxiway C3 is closed and that was the purpose of the 'unseen' barriers, to close off that taxiway. There were lighting devices attached to the barriers but no lights were apparent in the early morning darkness. The tower was closed. Reporter has not heard back from the airport manager, letting his insurance company handle the details. He did state that there are now 4 or 5 brightly lit barricades on taxiway C3. He would still like ASRS to pursue the fact that there was not and is not now any NOTAM regarding these barricades and the closure of taxiway C3.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND INCIDENT IN A NIGHT OP. OBSTRUCTION LIGHT OUTAGE LIGHTING STANDARDS NOT VISIBLE UNLIGHTED UNMARKED TXWY CONDITION OBSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I AM WRITING TO RPT AN EVENT THAT OCCURRED AT THE VERO BEACH ARPT. YESTERDAY MORNING, AT APPROX XX15 AM, MY WIFE AND I BEGAN WHAT WAS TO BE AN IFR FLT TO BOCA RATON IN MY PERSONAL ACFT, AZTEC. WE TAXIED OUT AND PROCEEDED INTO THE BLUE LIGHTED TXWY C3 WHEN THE L ENG STRUCK AN UNMARKED BARRICADE THAT EVIDENTLY WAS POSITIONED ON THE L SIDE OF THE TXWY. LATER THAT MORNING, I LEARNED FROM AN EMPLOYEE THAT ANOTHER BARRICADE, WHICH WAS INTENDED TO GUARD THE R SIDE OF THE TXWY, HAD BEEN BLOWN DOWN BY THE WIND. THAT SIT HAD NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THE TIME I ENTERED THE TXWY. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE PROP WAS EXPERIENCED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A SIMILAR EVENT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT WITH TOMAHAWK AND I MENTION THIS IN CASE IT HAS NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE HAS BEEN ARPT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT VRB, WITH RWY 29L/11R BEING CLOSED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACTIVITY. TXWY C3 IS CLOSED AND THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE 'UNSEEN' BARRIERS, TO CLOSE OFF THAT TXWY. THERE WERE LIGHTING DEVICES ATTACHED TO THE BARRIERS BUT NO LIGHTS WERE APPARENT IN THE EARLY MORNING DARKNESS. THE TWR WAS CLOSED. RPTR HAS NOT HEARD BACK FROM THE ARPT MGR, LETTING HIS INSURANCE COMPANY HANDLE THE DETAILS. HE DID STATE THAT THERE ARE NOW 4 OR 5 BRIGHTLY LIT BARRICADES ON TXWY C3. HE WOULD STILL LIKE ASRS TO PURSUE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NOT AND IS NOT NOW ANY NOTAM REGARDING THESE BARRICADES AND THE CLOSURE OF TXWY C3.

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.