Narrative:

I am a CFI and my friend is a private pilot and owner. We flew his cherokee up to herron airport to test and sharpen our skills at short field operations. Herron (7g1) is a 2000 ft hard surfaced runway with a county road running through it at midfield. It is 22 NM north of our home base at wheeling, wv (hlg). Upon arrival at 7g1, we noticed another aircraft at the runup area of runway 22. We announced our position and intentions and I took the controls for the first landing which was uneventful. We rolled out and stopped at midfield. Turning our aircraft around to taxi back for takeoff, we noticed the other aircraft was now in position for takeoff and holding. It is now getting dark. To try to accommodate that aircraft, we got off in the grass on the west side of the field to taxi, which is a common practice there. That way, he could take off. In doing that, we went through an uneven area at the intersection of the road with the airport and nicked the propeller. We shut down and examined the propeller finding 1 blade with only some nicks and the other with a small sliver knocked off the tip and a slight twist right at the tip. After close examination of the damage, we made the decision to fly it back to hlg, since it ran up fine and without vibration. I was at the controls and the takeoff, en route and landing were uneventful. The aircraft performed smoothly. Although our decision to fly the aircraft home proved to be successful, and to us was not a dangerous act, we may not have used the best judgement in the eyes of the FAA by doing so. Being stranded at a dark, secluded airport, mi from home, will surely affect a pilot's decision. Just call it get homeitis.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WITH FRIEND AND ACFT OWNER TAXIING BACK AFTER LNDG SIGHT AN ACFT IN POS FOR TKOF. TO EXPEDITE HIS DEP THEY TAXI OFF THE RWY ONTO THE GRASS. THEY CROSS OVER AN UNEVEN AREA AND NICK THE PROP.

Narrative: I AM A CFI AND MY FRIEND IS A PVT PLT AND OWNER. WE FLEW HIS CHEROKEE UP TO HERRON ARPT TO TEST AND SHARPEN OUR SKILLS AT SHORT FIELD OPS. HERRON (7G1) IS A 2000 FT HARD SURFACED RWY WITH A COUNTY ROAD RUNNING THROUGH IT AT MIDFIELD. IT IS 22 NM N OF OUR HOME BASE AT WHEELING, WV (HLG). UPON ARR AT 7G1, WE NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT AT THE RUNUP AREA OF RWY 22. WE ANNOUNCED OUR POS AND INTENTIONS AND I TOOK THE CTLS FOR THE FIRST LNDG WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE ROLLED OUT AND STOPPED AT MIDFIELD. TURNING OUR ACFT AROUND TO TAXI BACK FOR TKOF, WE NOTICED THE OTHER ACFT WAS NOW IN POS FOR TKOF AND HOLDING. IT IS NOW GETTING DARK. TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THAT ACFT, WE GOT OFF IN THE GRASS ON THE W SIDE OF THE FIELD TO TAXI, WHICH IS A COMMON PRACTICE THERE. THAT WAY, HE COULD TAKE OFF. IN DOING THAT, WE WENT THROUGH AN UNEVEN AREA AT THE INTXN OF THE ROAD WITH THE ARPT AND NICKED THE PROP. WE SHUT DOWN AND EXAMINED THE PROP FINDING 1 BLADE WITH ONLY SOME NICKS AND THE OTHER WITH A SMALL SLIVER KNOCKED OFF THE TIP AND A SLIGHT TWIST RIGHT AT THE TIP. AFTER CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE DAMAGE, WE MADE THE DECISION TO FLY IT BACK TO HLG, SINCE IT RAN UP FINE AND WITHOUT VIBRATION. I WAS AT THE CTLS AND THE TKOF, ENRTE AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. THE ACFT PERFORMED SMOOTHLY. ALTHOUGH OUR DECISION TO FLY THE ACFT HOME PROVED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND TO US WAS NOT A DANGEROUS ACT, WE MAY NOT HAVE USED THE BEST JUDGEMENT IN THE EYES OF THE FAA BY DOING SO. BEING STRANDED AT A DARK, SECLUDED ARPT, MI FROM HOME, WILL SURELY AFFECT A PLT'S DECISION. JUST CALL IT GET HOMEITIS.

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.