Narrative:

Upon arriving at bid and taxiing the airplane off the runway, I was instructed by the unicom operator to park the airplane in a grassy area adjacent to, and north of the taxiway. I complied by taxiing onto the grassy area and parking the airplane perpendicular to the taxiway and facing south (ie, facing the taxiway and runway beyond). After spending approximately 2 hours on block island, I returned to the airport to return to east hampton (hto), my point of origin. After preflting the airplane, I started the engine and began taxiing toward the taxiway which was approximately 15 ft directly ahead of me. Prior to entering the taxiway, the propeller struck the top of a taxiway light breaking the light bulb and blue glass enclosure. The taxiway light was directly in front on the airplane and not visible from my vantage point in the cockpit. (Prior to taxiing, I observed taxi lights on either side of the airplane and assumed that the area in front of me was clear.) upon hearing the sound of the propeller striking the light, I immediately shut down the engine and exited the airplane to investigate. The strike resulted in damage to the taxiway light and several small nicks in the propeller. In retrospect, I believe that several factors contributed to this occurrence. Upon returning to the airport, there were airplanes parked on either side of mine. During preflight I should have made note of any obstructions ahead of me since I would not be able to turn the airplane to the side (to see the area directly in front of me) while taxiing due to the proximity of the adjacent planes. I failed to do this. Also, I wrongly assumed that the area directly ahead of me was clear since I saw taxiway lights on either side of me before I started moving. I should have assumed that there might be an additional light directly ahead of me. The unicom operator after instructing me to position my airplane directly facing a row of taxi lights should have cautioned me about the danger of striking the lights upon leaving the area. Also, if airplanes are to be parked in such a manner (which I understand is commonplace at bid), the FBO should have personnel directing the traffic on the ground away from obstructions directly in the path of airplanes taxiing onto the taxiway. After the occurrence, the person operating the unicom commented to me that he should warn pilots about the taxiway lights and told me that they had been struck several times in the past. I am a relatively new private pilot. I passed my check ride on jul/xa/98. I have accumulated approximately 90 hours total time to date. I have never submitted a NASA form before and I'm not sure if this is the right form (it appears that it may be intended for use by ATC personnel).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PVT PLT TAXIES INTO A TXWY LIGHT WHEN LEAVING HIS PARKING AREA AT BID, RI.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT BID AND TAXIING THE AIRPLANE OFF THE RWY, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY THE UNICOM OPERATOR TO PARK THE AIRPLANE IN A GRASSY AREA ADJACENT TO, AND N OF THE TXWY. I COMPLIED BY TAXIING ONTO THE GRASSY AREA AND PARKING THE AIRPLANE PERPENDICULAR TO THE TXWY AND FACING S (IE, FACING THE TXWY AND RWY BEYOND). AFTER SPENDING APPROX 2 HRS ON BLOCK ISLAND, I RETURNED TO THE ARPT TO RETURN TO EAST HAMPTON (HTO), MY POINT OF ORIGIN. AFTER PREFLTING THE AIRPLANE, I STARTED THE ENG AND BEGAN TAXIING TOWARD THE TXWY WHICH WAS APPROX 15 FT DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TXWY, THE PROP STRUCK THE TOP OF A TXWY LIGHT BREAKING THE LIGHT BULB AND BLUE GLASS ENCLOSURE. THE TXWY LIGHT WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT ON THE AIRPLANE AND NOT VISIBLE FROM MY VANTAGE POINT IN THE COCKPIT. (PRIOR TO TAXIING, I OBSERVED TAXI LIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND ASSUMED THAT THE AREA IN FRONT OF ME WAS CLR.) UPON HEARING THE SOUND OF THE PROP STRIKING THE LIGHT, I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE TO INVESTIGATE. THE STRIKE RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE TXWY LIGHT AND SEVERAL SMALL NICKS IN THE PROP. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THAT SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE. UPON RETURNING TO THE ARPT, THERE WERE AIRPLANES PARKED ON EITHER SIDE OF MINE. DURING PREFLT I SHOULD HAVE MADE NOTE OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS AHEAD OF ME SINCE I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THE AIRPLANE TO THE SIDE (TO SEE THE AREA DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME) WHILE TAXIING DUE TO THE PROX OF THE ADJACENT PLANES. I FAILED TO DO THIS. ALSO, I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT THE AREA DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME WAS CLR SINCE I SAW TXWY LIGHTS ON EITHER SIDE OF ME BEFORE I STARTED MOVING. I SHOULD HAVE ASSUMED THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL LIGHT DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME. THE UNICOM OPERATOR AFTER INSTRUCTING ME TO POS MY AIRPLANE DIRECTLY FACING A ROW OF TAXI LIGHTS SHOULD HAVE CAUTIONED ME ABOUT THE DANGER OF STRIKING THE LIGHTS UPON LEAVING THE AREA. ALSO, IF AIRPLANES ARE TO BE PARKED IN SUCH A MANNER (WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS COMMONPLACE AT BID), THE FBO SHOULD HAVE PERSONNEL DIRECTING THE TFC ON THE GND AWAY FROM OBSTRUCTIONS DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF AIRPLANES TAXIING ONTO THE TXWY. AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, THE PERSON OPERATING THE UNICOM COMMENTED TO ME THAT HE SHOULD WARN PLTS ABOUT THE TXWY LIGHTS AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN STRUCK SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. I AM A RELATIVELY NEW PVT PLT. I PASSED MY CHK RIDE ON JUL/XA/98. I HAVE ACCUMULATED APPROX 90 HRS TOTAL TIME TO DATE. I HAVE NEVER SUBMITTED A NASA FORM BEFORE AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT FORM (IT APPEARS THAT IT MAY BE INTENDED FOR USE BY ATC PERSONNEL).

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.