Narrative:

I was taxiing aircraft to the active runway on a taxiway I wasn't very familiar with. I became disoriented and was having difficulty locating the turn on the taxiway that goes to the runway. I felt aircraft move into a very tail low position, making me think I had missed the turn, going into a ditch. I added power to get out of the ditch and the aircraft went back to a normal level position. I thought I was back on the taxiway when the propeller struck something causing a bent propeller. After shutting down the engine, I discovered I missed the taxiway, went up an embankment that went up to a metal psp helipad. The propeller struck the edge of the helipad after the nose gear sank into gravel. That corner of the airport is very dark with insufficient taxiway or area lighting. There is no centerline painted on the taxiway nor are there red lights indicating where the ramp to the helipad is located. Also due to taxiway lighting, it is very disorienting as there is a parallel taxiway located next to the taxiway in which the occurrence happened. Possible corrective action: install red lights around helipad perimeter in addition to a row of red lights to indicate end of taxiway at base of helipad ramp. Paint a centerline on taxiway to assist pilots taxiing to runway on that specific taxiway. Install lighting to make general area better lit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 ATX PLT TAXIES HIS ACFT OFF A TXWY INTO A RAISED HELIPAD DURING A NIGHT OP AT JPJ, NC.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING ACFT TO THE ACTIVE RWY ON A TXWY I WASN'T VERY FAMILIAR WITH. I BECAME DISORIENTED AND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE TURN ON THE TXWY THAT GOES TO THE RWY. I FELT ACFT MOVE INTO A VERY TAIL LOW POS, MAKING ME THINK I HAD MISSED THE TURN, GOING INTO A DITCH. I ADDED PWR TO GET OUT OF THE DITCH AND THE ACFT WENT BACK TO A NORMAL LEVEL POS. I THOUGHT I WAS BACK ON THE TXWY WHEN THE PROP STRUCK SOMETHING CAUSING A BENT PROP. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG, I DISCOVERED I MISSED THE TXWY, WENT UP AN EMBANKMENT THAT WENT UP TO A METAL PSP HELIPAD. THE PROP STRUCK THE EDGE OF THE HELIPAD AFTER THE NOSE GEAR SANK INTO GRAVEL. THAT CORNER OF THE ARPT IS VERY DARK WITH INSUFFICIENT TXWY OR AREA LIGHTING. THERE IS NO CTRLINE PAINTED ON THE TXWY NOR ARE THERE RED LIGHTS INDICATING WHERE THE RAMP TO THE HELIPAD IS LOCATED. ALSO DUE TO TXWY LIGHTING, IT IS VERY DISORIENTING AS THERE IS A PARALLEL TXWY LOCATED NEXT TO THE TXWY IN WHICH THE OCCURRENCE HAPPENED. POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTION: INSTALL RED LIGHTS AROUND HELIPAD PERIMETER IN ADDITION TO A ROW OF RED LIGHTS TO INDICATE END OF TXWY AT BASE OF HELIPAD RAMP. PAINT A CTRLINE ON TXWY TO ASSIST PLTS TAXIING TO RWY ON THAT SPECIFIC TXWY. INSTALL LIGHTING TO MAKE GENERAL AREA BETTER LIT.

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.