Narrative:

After having several outstanding flts the week prior to the incident, I became overconfident and careless. While at dal, I had noticed the ramp had begun to fill with other aircraft while waiting for my passenger to arrive. After doing a preflight inspection, I walked to the taxiway along the south end of the ramp that I was accustomed to using because it appeared to have begun to be blocked with parked aircraft. After looking the area over, I decided it would be no problem to use the taxiway because I still had enough room to get by. The edge of the ramp was marked with yellow edge markers that were highly visible and stood up about 8 inches. I elected to go along the side of the crowded ramp simply because it was a little shorter and I had inspected it earlier. While attempting to taxi past a parked aircraft, I decided to give myself a little more wingtip clearance since I thought I was past the marker and pulled over to the side of the taxiway. I saw that the tire was going to be on the grass, but that didn't seem like a problem since we occasionally have to do that. What I hadn't noticed is the grass, which was as tall as the edge of the taxiway, was hiding a dropoff of 6-8 inches. When the left main tire dropped off the edge, the aircraft shifted to the left and the left propeller struck the edge marker that I was passing. Since there were no engine indications and no noise from the strike, I thought I had missed the marker until the ground personnel gave me the signal to stop. After shutdown, I inspected the propeller and a notch was noticed on 2 of the 3 propellers. The propeller was then inspected and temporarily repaired for flight. Upon arrival at sturgis, ky (I05), home station, we grounded the aircraft until a thorough inspection can be accomplished and repairs made.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 EXPERIENCES PROP STRIKE AFTER DEPARTING TXWY AT DAL.

Narrative: AFTER HAVING SEVERAL OUTSTANDING FLTS THE WK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, I BECAME OVERCONFIDENT AND CARELESS. WHILE AT DAL, I HAD NOTICED THE RAMP HAD BEGUN TO FILL WITH OTHER ACFT WHILE WAITING FOR MY PAX TO ARRIVE. AFTER DOING A PREFLT INSPECTION, I WALKED TO THE TXWY ALONG THE S END OF THE RAMP THAT I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO USING BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEGUN TO BE BLOCKED WITH PARKED ACFT. AFTER LOOKING THE AREA OVER, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE NO PROB TO USE THE TXWY BECAUSE I STILL HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO GET BY. THE EDGE OF THE RAMP WAS MARKED WITH YELLOW EDGE MARKERS THAT WERE HIGHLY VISIBLE AND STOOD UP ABOUT 8 INCHES. I ELECTED TO GO ALONG THE SIDE OF THE CROWDED RAMP SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE SHORTER AND I HAD INSPECTED IT EARLIER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAXI PAST A PARKED ACFT, I DECIDED TO GIVE MYSELF A LITTLE MORE WINGTIP CLRNC SINCE I THOUGHT I WAS PAST THE MARKER AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE TXWY. I SAW THAT THE TIRE WAS GOING TO BE ON THE GRASS, BUT THAT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A PROB SINCE WE OCCASIONALLY HAVE TO DO THAT. WHAT I HADN'T NOTICED IS THE GRASS, WHICH WAS AS TALL AS THE EDGE OF THE TXWY, WAS HIDING A DROPOFF OF 6-8 INCHES. WHEN THE L MAIN TIRE DROPPED OFF THE EDGE, THE ACFT SHIFTED TO THE L AND THE L PROP STRUCK THE EDGE MARKER THAT I WAS PASSING. SINCE THERE WERE NO ENG INDICATIONS AND NO NOISE FROM THE STRIKE, I THOUGHT I HAD MISSED THE MARKER UNTIL THE GND PERSONNEL GAVE ME THE SIGNAL TO STOP. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I INSPECTED THE PROP AND A NOTCH WAS NOTICED ON 2 OF THE 3 PROPS. THE PROP WAS THEN INSPECTED AND TEMPORARILY REPAIRED FOR FLT. UPON ARR AT STURGIS, KY (I05), HOME STATION, WE GNDED THE ACFT UNTIL A THOROUGH INSPECTION CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AND REPAIRS MADE.

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.