Narrative:

Runway at unk, ak, was undergoing repairs so runway was split in half lengthwise. One half had been under repair for a while and last 1000 ft notamed unusable. Sawhorse-type obstruction signs marked this area and were placed on runway. We had taxied between these signs many times -- plenty of room. This morning the newly refurbished half of the runway was open and the other half closed. When sawhorse- type signs were moved to other half of runway, they were placed too close together. On our first taxi in, we hit a sign with the #1 propeller. A DC6 (similar size aircraft) had already fit with no problem. The airport manager had tried without success to have the state of alaska move the signs, knowing we served this airport in a large aircraft (lockheed electra). When measured later, there was no way we could have fit, a propeller strike was inevitable. Mechanics were flown out to inspect the propeller and found it acceptable only to ferry it to anc where the propeller had to be removed for replacement. The signs were later relocated off the usable runway surface, as they should have been in the beginning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FREIGHTER LOCKHEED ELECTRA HIT A BARRIER WITH ONE OF ITS PROPS. ACFT DAMAGE PROP ONLY. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: RWY AT UNK, AK, WAS UNDERGOING REPAIRS SO RWY WAS SPLIT IN HALF LENGTHWISE. ONE HALF HAD BEEN UNDER REPAIR FOR A WHILE AND LAST 1000 FT NOTAMED UNUSABLE. SAWHORSE-TYPE OBSTRUCTION SIGNS MARKED THIS AREA AND WERE PLACED ON RWY. WE HAD TAXIED BTWN THESE SIGNS MANY TIMES -- PLENTY OF ROOM. THIS MORNING THE NEWLY REFURBISHED HALF OF THE RWY WAS OPEN AND THE OTHER HALF CLOSED. WHEN SAWHORSE- TYPE SIGNS WERE MOVED TO OTHER HALF OF RWY, THEY WERE PLACED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. ON OUR FIRST TAXI IN, WE HIT A SIGN WITH THE #1 PROP. A DC6 (SIMILAR SIZE ACFT) HAD ALREADY FIT WITH NO PROB. THE ARPT MGR HAD TRIED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO HAVE THE STATE OF ALASKA MOVE THE SIGNS, KNOWING WE SERVED THIS ARPT IN A LARGE ACFT (LOCKHEED ELECTRA). WHEN MEASURED LATER, THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD HAVE FIT, A PROP STRIKE WAS INEVITABLE. MECHS WERE FLOWN OUT TO INSPECT THE PROP AND FOUND IT ACCEPTABLE ONLY TO FERRY IT TO ANC WHERE THE PROP HAD TO BE REMOVED FOR REPLACEMENT. THE SIGNS WERE LATER RELOCATED OFF THE USABLE RWY SURFACE, AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE BEGINNING.

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.