Narrative:

XA00 sunday night, sep/xa/98. I gave a demonstration flight which lasted about 20 mins. I left at sunset and landed after dark. At the conclusion of the flight, I pulled up into the parking area. I stopped in front of the parking area where the flight school parks their rental aircraft. There were only a couple of the school aircraft parked at the end of the row. There were about 8 open spaces for parking north of that. I taxied toward the middle of the open spaces, leaving a couple of open spaces beyond each wing and I taxied between tie-down anchors and into a parking space at a slight angle. The intent was to make a slight left turn in order to be aligned with the T once the main gear reached the horizontal line. The propeller struck a long tow bar placed in the parking space. It was lying flat on the pavement at the left side of the tail anchor. The tow bar is a home made bar, unpainted metal, very heavy, flat and it lay vertically in the parking space on the left side of the tail anchor. It extended from the tail anchor forward about 3 ft. The area for the bar was marked with a white rectangle of somewhat worn paint. My lights did not pick up the paint or the bar. I shut down the engine with mixture, and as the engine came to a stop, it was evident that the propeller was out of balance. One end of the propeller blade was bent forward and had a ragged ding about 1/2 inch deep.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28-181 TAXIES INTO A TOW BAR THAT WAS NOT SEEN ON THE PARKING RAMP DURING A NIGHT OP AND SUFFERS A PROP STRIKE.

Narrative: XA00 SUNDAY NIGHT, SEP/XA/98. I GAVE A DEMONSTRATION FLT WHICH LASTED ABOUT 20 MINS. I LEFT AT SUNSET AND LANDED AFTER DARK. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FLT, I PULLED UP INTO THE PARKING AREA. I STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE PARKING AREA WHERE THE FLT SCHOOL PARKS THEIR RENTAL ACFT. THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF THE SCHOOL ACFT PARKED AT THE END OF THE ROW. THERE WERE ABOUT 8 OPEN SPACES FOR PARKING N OF THAT. I TAXIED TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE OPEN SPACES, LEAVING A COUPLE OF OPEN SPACES BEYOND EACH WING AND I TAXIED BTWN TIE-DOWN ANCHORS AND INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A SLIGHT ANGLE. THE INTENT WAS TO MAKE A SLIGHT L TURN IN ORDER TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE T ONCE THE MAIN GEAR REACHED THE HORIZ LINE. THE PROP STRUCK A LONG TOW BAR PLACED IN THE PARKING SPACE. IT WAS LYING FLAT ON THE PAVEMENT AT THE L SIDE OF THE TAIL ANCHOR. THE TOW BAR IS A HOME MADE BAR, UNPAINTED METAL, VERY HVY, FLAT AND IT LAY VERTLY IN THE PARKING SPACE ON THE L SIDE OF THE TAIL ANCHOR. IT EXTENDED FROM THE TAIL ANCHOR FORWARD ABOUT 3 FT. THE AREA FOR THE BAR WAS MARKED WITH A WHITE RECTANGLE OF SOMEWHAT WORN PAINT. MY LIGHTS DID NOT PICK UP THE PAINT OR THE BAR. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG WITH MIXTURE, AND AS THE ENG CAME TO A STOP, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE PROP WAS OUT OF BAL. ONE END OF THE PROP BLADE WAS BENT FORWARD AND HAD A RAGGED DING ABOUT 1/2 INCH DEEP.

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.