Narrative:

Ceiling at home based cxy was below ILS minimum and I diverted to alternate mdt. A successful landing was made via ILS runway 13. While clearing the active runway at taxiway D, I struck 1 or 2 closely spaced lights at the curved entry to the taxiway, damaging the propeller of my airplane (and the lights). I informed the tower. The lights are mounted on steel posts and located on the paved area of the taxiway entrance, perhaps 6 ft from the edge of the pavement. I believe the flashing approach lights and the white lights marking the centerline of this runway cause a certain amount of night blindness and a pilot, not used to this lighting, may not see these less obvious lights as in my case. Also, I am more familiar with turning onto txwys where the lights are located off the pavement. I understand that this is not an isolated occurrence at this airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the ceiling had been 600 ft overcast and that the time of day was dusk. Further, he recalled that there were bright lights at the airport and he suggested that night blindness may have contributed to this incident. Though his aircraft damaged the taxiway lights, and he conferred with airport personnel about the incident, no one has contacted him further regarding this event. His aircraft was in maintenance at mdt due to the damage which required the propeller and a maintenance gear fairing to be replaced. He picked up his aircraft last week and was told by the mechanic that another pilot struck the same lights twice in 2 weeks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT, TAXIING A C172 AT MDT, STRUCK LIGHTS ON TXWY D.

Narrative: CEILING AT HOME BASED CXY WAS BELOW ILS MINIMUM AND I DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE MDT. A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE VIA ILS RWY 13. WHILE CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY AT TXWY D, I STRUCK 1 OR 2 CLOSELY SPACED LIGHTS AT THE CURVED ENTRY TO THE TXWY, DAMAGING THE PROP OF MY AIRPLANE (AND THE LIGHTS). I INFORMED THE TWR. THE LIGHTS ARE MOUNTED ON STEEL POSTS AND LOCATED ON THE PAVED AREA OF THE TXWY ENTRANCE, PERHAPS 6 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. I BELIEVE THE FLASHING APCH LIGHTS AND THE WHITE LIGHTS MARKING THE CTRLINE OF THIS RWY CAUSE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NIGHT BLINDNESS AND A PLT, NOT USED TO THIS LIGHTING, MAY NOT SEE THESE LESS OBVIOUS LIGHTS AS IN MY CASE. ALSO, I AM MORE FAMILIAR WITH TURNING ONTO TXWYS WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE LOCATED OFF THE PAVEMENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE AT THIS ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CEILING HAD BEEN 600 FT OVCST AND THAT THE TIME OF DAY WAS DUSK. FURTHER, HE RECALLED THAT THERE WERE BRIGHT LIGHTS AT THE ARPT AND HE SUGGESTED THAT NIGHT BLINDNESS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THOUGH HIS ACFT DAMAGED THE TXWY LIGHTS, AND HE CONFERRED WITH ARPT PERSONNEL ABOUT THE INCIDENT, NO ONE HAS CONTACTED HIM FURTHER REGARDING THIS EVENT. HIS ACFT WAS IN MAINT AT MDT DUE TO THE DAMAGE WHICH REQUIRED THE PROP AND A MAINT GEAR FAIRING TO BE REPLACED. HE PICKED UP HIS ACFT LAST WK AND WAS TOLD BY THE MECH THAT ANOTHER PLT STRUCK THE SAME LIGHTS TWICE IN 2 WKS.

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.