Narrative:

Landed runway 28, cleared the active onto western taxiway towards ramp. Was advised on unicom to make immediate right turn onto grass area and to 'watch the lights.' I stopped and questioned the instructions as I instinctively felt uncomfortable with proceeding. I was advised that all ramp spaces were taken and I was to park on the grass alongside a cherokee type aircraft. I turned right and lined up on the cherokee. I saw taxi lights left and right, but obviously not one blocked from view on my right side as I turned. I believed that my path to the parked aircraft ahead was clear. I proceeded slowly ahead and the propeller struck the hidden taxi light, causing considerable damage to the propeller, with a possibility to the engine as well. Being on an active taxiway and on unicom at a busy time caused me to feel some pressure to get on with it and overcame my initial negative reaction about proceeding. A number of things could be done to prevent this type of incident, i.e.: 1) bring the pilot to the ramp and into the office to check in. He could then be briefed off-the-air on where he is going and he could go take a look beforehand. 2) have the pilot continue to taxi to the ramp area, do a 180 degree turn back onto the taxiway with all the lights visible to him on the left (pilot's) side of the aircraft. He could proceed in a manner to assure clear passage. 3) mark the entrance/exit off the taxiway to the grass area with dayglow cones like those used for road cautions. 4) provide human assistance in ground movements -- by vehicle or on ft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he does not yet know how much damage there is to the aircraft. 1 blade is shot and the other 2 are repairable. His mechanic will replace them on the aircraft and do a run-up to determine if there is engine damage. If it appears not to be so he will fly the aircraft to his home base for final checks. Reporter has not spoken to airport personnel but noted that they placed dayglow pylons in the area used for taxi and had a follow me car to guide other aircraft to the parking area. Reporter just hopes this is not a temporary gesture since he has become aware that he is the third aircraft to be damaged this yr and the second within 10 days. Reporter felt pressure because there were several other aircraft trying to get landing instructions and he wanted to get off the frequency instead of discussing the parking on the CTAF. He will not allow himself to make such a mistake again. The aircraft was a centurion, C210.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ONTO GRASS AREA FOR PARKING. PROP STRIKES TXWY LIGHT AS HE COMPLIES.

Narrative: LANDED RWY 28, CLRED THE ACTIVE ONTO WESTERN TXWY TOWARDS RAMP. WAS ADVISED ON UNICOM TO MAKE IMMEDIATE R TURN ONTO GRASS AREA AND TO 'WATCH THE LIGHTS.' I STOPPED AND QUESTIONED THE INSTRUCTIONS AS I INSTINCTIVELY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PROCEEDING. I WAS ADVISED THAT ALL RAMP SPACES WERE TAKEN AND I WAS TO PARK ON THE GRASS ALONGSIDE A CHEROKEE TYPE ACFT. I TURNED R AND LINED UP ON THE CHEROKEE. I SAW TAXI LIGHTS L AND R, BUT OBVIOUSLY NOT ONE BLOCKED FROM VIEW ON MY R SIDE AS I TURNED. I BELIEVED THAT MY PATH TO THE PARKED ACFT AHEAD WAS CLR. I PROCEEDED SLOWLY AHEAD AND THE PROP STRUCK THE HIDDEN TAXI LIGHT, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE PROP, WITH A POSSIBILITY TO THE ENG AS WELL. BEING ON AN ACTIVE TXWY AND ON UNICOM AT A BUSY TIME CAUSED ME TO FEEL SOME PRESSURE TO GET ON WITH IT AND OVERCAME MY INITIAL NEGATIVE REACTION ABOUT PROCEEDING. A NUMBER OF THINGS COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT, I.E.: 1) BRING THE PLT TO THE RAMP AND INTO THE OFFICE TO CHK IN. HE COULD THEN BE BRIEFED OFF-THE-AIR ON WHERE HE IS GOING AND HE COULD GO TAKE A LOOK BEFOREHAND. 2) HAVE THE PLT CONTINUE TO TAXI TO THE RAMP AREA, DO A 180 DEG TURN BACK ONTO THE TXWY WITH ALL THE LIGHTS VISIBLE TO HIM ON THE L (PLT'S) SIDE OF THE ACFT. HE COULD PROCEED IN A MANNER TO ASSURE CLR PASSAGE. 3) MARK THE ENTRANCE/EXIT OFF THE TXWY TO THE GRASS AREA WITH DAYGLOW CONES LIKE THOSE USED FOR ROAD CAUTIONS. 4) PROVIDE HUMAN ASSISTANCE IN GND MOVEMENTS -- BY VEHICLE OR ON FT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DOES NOT YET KNOW HOW MUCH DAMAGE THERE IS TO THE ACFT. 1 BLADE IS SHOT AND THE OTHER 2 ARE REPAIRABLE. HIS MECH WILL REPLACE THEM ON THE ACFT AND DO A RUN-UP TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS ENG DAMAGE. IF IT APPEARS NOT TO BE SO HE WILL FLY THE ACFT TO HIS HOME BASE FOR FINAL CHKS. RPTR HAS NOT SPOKEN TO ARPT PERSONNEL BUT NOTED THAT THEY PLACED DAYGLOW PYLONS IN THE AREA USED FOR TAXI AND HAD A FOLLOW ME CAR TO GUIDE OTHER ACFT TO THE PARKING AREA. RPTR JUST HOPES THIS IS NOT A TEMPORARY GESTURE SINCE HE HAS BECOME AWARE THAT HE IS THE THIRD ACFT TO BE DAMAGED THIS YR AND THE SECOND WITHIN 10 DAYS. RPTR FELT PRESSURE BECAUSE THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER ACFT TRYING TO GET LNDG INSTRUCTIONS AND HE WANTED TO GET OFF THE FREQ INSTEAD OF DISCUSSING THE PARKING ON THE CTAF. HE WILL NOT ALLOW HIMSELF TO MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE AGAIN. THE ACFT WAS A CENTURION, C210.

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.