Narrative:

I made a normal landing on runway 36 at top (topeka,ks). I was not familiar with this runway. I opted to roll to the north end where it intersects with runway 31, tower advised me to turn left on runway 31 and further left onto the taxiway which runs parallel with runway 36/18. I taxiied to parking, cooled the engines and shut down. While leaving the aircraft, I noticed a deep gouge in the tip of one blade on the left propeller. After much investigation, we determined that I had taxiied over and hit one of the runway lights while turning from runway 36 onto runway 31. I did not see the light. During discussions with maintenance folks, I found that the width of runway 36 had, some time in the past, been reduced to 75 ft. I don't know what the original width had been. This was done by moving the runway lights from the edge towards the centerline of the runway. I don't know how far onto the runway they were moved, but my recollection is about 15 ft (or more?). When I checked the area from the maintenance car, I found it very hard to see the lights or to distinguish them from the weeds growing in surface cracks on the runway. The plain post mounts and milky lenses blend nicely with the surface. I do not now recall seeing any edge markings. The maintenance operator also indicated that there had been several other light/propeller strikes since the lights were moved. I hit the last light on the left side of runway 36. Other strikes had been at similar intersections elsewhere on the runway. In hindsight, the only clue that I should have picked up was the fact that the approach plate showed a width of 75 ft, while on final I sure thought that the runway appeared wider. I likely should have aborted and inquired, but that it is hard to do on final for something as vague as that. Even if I had, I suspect that tower would not have mentioned the light locations. Best would be to remove the pavement outside of the lights. Otherwise, they could be marked with something more visible and the usable edges clearly marked. The runway could also be restored to its original width.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A NORMAL ROLLOUT ON RWY 36 AT KTOP, THE REPORTER WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN LEFT ON RWY 31. DURING THE TURN, THE REPORTER UNKNOWINGLY STRUCK A RWY LIGHT WHICH DAMAGED HIS PROPELLER.

Narrative: I MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 36 AT TOP (TOPEKA,KS). I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS RWY. I OPTED TO ROLL TO THE NORTH END WHERE IT INTERSECTS WITH RWY 31, TWR ADVISED ME TO TURN LEFT ON RWY 31 AND FURTHER LEFT ONTO THE TXWY WHICH RUNS PARALLEL WITH RWY 36/18. I TAXIIED TO PARKING, COOLED THE ENGINES AND SHUT DOWN. WHILE LEAVING THE ACFT, I NOTICED A DEEP GOUGE IN THE TIP OF ONE BLADE ON THE LEFT PROP. AFTER MUCH INVESTIGATION, WE DETERMINED THAT I HAD TAXIIED OVER AND HIT ONE OF THE RWY LIGHTS WHILE TURNING FROM RWY 36 ONTO RWY 31. I DID NOT SEE THE LIGHT. DURING DISCUSSIONS WITH MAINT FOLKS, I FOUND THAT THE WIDTH OF RWY 36 HAD, SOME TIME IN THE PAST, BEEN REDUCED TO 75 FT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ORIGINAL WIDTH HAD BEEN. THIS WAS DONE BY MOVING THE RWY LIGHTS FROM THE EDGE TOWARDS THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR ONTO THE RWY THEY WERE MOVED, BUT MY RECOLLECTION IS ABOUT 15 FT (OR MORE?). WHEN I CHECKED THE AREA FROM THE MAINT CAR, I FOUND IT VERY HARD TO SEE THE LIGHTS OR TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM THE WEEDS GROWING IN SURFACE CRACKS ON THE RWY. THE PLAIN POST MOUNTS AND MILKY LENSES BLEND NICELY WITH THE SURFACE. I DO NOT NOW RECALL SEEING ANY EDGE MARKINGS. THE MAINT OPERATOR ALSO INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL OTHER LIGHT/PROP STRIKES SINCE THE LIGHTS WERE MOVED. I HIT THE LAST LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF RWY 36. OTHER STRIKES HAD BEEN AT SIMILAR INTERSECTIONS ELSEWHERE ON THE RWY. IN HINDSIGHT, THE ONLY CLUE THAT I SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP WAS THE FACT THAT THE APCH PLATE SHOWED A WIDTH OF 75 FT, WHILE ON FINAL I SURE THOUGHT THAT THE RWY APPEARED WIDER. I LIKELY SHOULD HAVE ABORTED AND INQUIRED, BUT THAT IT IS HARD TO DO ON FINAL FOR SOMETHING AS VAGUE AS THAT. EVEN IF I HAD, I SUSPECT THAT TWR WOULD NOT HAVE MENTIONED THE LIGHT LOCATIONS. BEST WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE PAVEMENT OUTSIDE OF THE LIGHTS. OTHERWISE, THEY COULD BE MARKED WITH SOMETHING MORE VISIBLE AND THE USABLE EDGES CLEARLY MARKED. THE RWY COULD ALSO BE RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL WIDTH.

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.