Narrative:

Runway 27 was the active at jackson county airport, GA (19A), at the time of the incident. No paved taxiway is available for this runway. A run-up pad is available at the approach end, but it is not visible until actually there at the approach end. I back-taxied on the runway to the run-up pad, but it was occupied by another aircraft when I got there. A third aircraft was on downwind, turning to base, for landing at the same time. In an effort to expedite traffic flow at what had become a busy saturday at the airport, I taxied off the paved runway surface onto the adjacent turf shoulder area. After the aircraft in the pattern had landed and the one in the run-up pad had exited and departed, I taxied back onto the runway. Apparently, there was a small drop from the pavement to the turf and, in the process of returning to the runway, the tailskid of the aircraft struck the turf, bending the tailskid and tie-down ring. I did not discover the damage until arriving at dnl to deplane my passenger. During my postflt inspection of the aircraft, I noted the georgia clay adhering to the damaged tailskid. No other damage to the aircraft was apparent in the form of bent aluminum skin or popped rivets. I concluded this was only minor damage, the aircraft remained airworthy, and no report would be required under NTSB regulations. I completed the mission, therefore, and flew the aircraft back to its home base at ryy. I believe this incident could have been prevented in several ways. First of all, I should not have assumed the run-up pad was available before leaving the ramp to back-taxi on the active runway. Better planning on my part would have been to complete all my preflight checklists prior to leaving the ramp area. By so doing, I would have been in a position to immediately take off upon reaching the approach end of the runway. This would have avoided the traffic conflict that developed. Alternatively, in the case where I needed to use the run-up area and found it occupied, I should have broadcast the situation on the CTAF and asked the landing traffic to make another circuit. Clearing the runway onto a turf area not intended for aircraft ground movement was a bad choice and showed a lack of good judgement. This may have been at least partially due to the fact the incident occurred in the latter half of a long and busy day when fatigue may have been a factor. Also, there was the factor of 'destinationitis' or a desire to complete the assigned mission in the remaining daylight and return to base. I must learn to recognize these human factors and compensate for them in my decision-making and planning process.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT TAXIED OFF THE RWY TO CLR FOR A LNDG ACFT. HE HIT AND BENT THE ACFT TAIL SKID TIE-DOWN.

Narrative: RWY 27 WAS THE ACTIVE AT JACKSON COUNTY ARPT, GA (19A), AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. NO PAVED TXWY IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS RWY. A RUN-UP PAD IS AVAILABLE AT THE APCH END, BUT IT IS NOT VISIBLE UNTIL ACTUALLY THERE AT THE APCH END. I BACK-TAXIED ON THE RWY TO THE RUN-UP PAD, BUT IT WAS OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT WHEN I GOT THERE. A THIRD ACFT WAS ON DOWNWIND, TURNING TO BASE, FOR LNDG AT THE SAME TIME. IN AN EFFORT TO EXPEDITE TFC FLOW AT WHAT HAD BECOME A BUSY SATURDAY AT THE ARPT, I TAXIED OFF THE PAVED RWY SURFACE ONTO THE ADJACENT TURF SHOULDER AREA. AFTER THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN HAD LANDED AND THE ONE IN THE RUN-UP PAD HAD EXITED AND DEPARTED, I TAXIED BACK ONTO THE RWY. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS A SMALL DROP FROM THE PAVEMENT TO THE TURF AND, IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING TO THE RWY, THE TAILSKID OF THE ACFT STRUCK THE TURF, BENDING THE TAILSKID AND TIE-DOWN RING. I DID NOT DISCOVER THE DAMAGE UNTIL ARRIVING AT DNL TO DEPLANE MY PAX. DURING MY POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT, I NOTED THE GEORGIA CLAY ADHERING TO THE DAMAGED TAILSKID. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS APPARENT IN THE FORM OF BENT ALUMINUM SKIN OR POPPED RIVETS. I CONCLUDED THIS WAS ONLY MINOR DAMAGE, THE ACFT REMAINED AIRWORTHY, AND NO RPT WOULD BE REQUIRED UNDER NTSB REGS. I COMPLETED THE MISSION, THEREFORE, AND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO ITS HOME BASE AT RYY. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IN SEVERAL WAYS. FIRST OF ALL, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED THE RUN-UP PAD WAS AVAILABLE BEFORE LEAVING THE RAMP TO BACK-TAXI ON THE ACTIVE RWY. BETTER PLANNING ON MY PART WOULD HAVE BEEN TO COMPLETE ALL MY PREFLT CHKLISTS PRIOR TO LEAVING THE RAMP AREA. BY SO DOING, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A POS TO IMMEDIATELY TAKE OFF UPON REACHING THE APCH END OF THE RWY. THIS WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE TFC CONFLICT THAT DEVELOPED. ALTERNATIVELY, IN THE CASE WHERE I NEEDED TO USE THE RUN-UP AREA AND FOUND IT OCCUPIED, I SHOULD HAVE BROADCAST THE SIT ON THE CTAF AND ASKED THE LNDG TFC TO MAKE ANOTHER CIRCUIT. CLRING THE RWY ONTO A TURF AREA NOT INTENDED FOR ACFT GND MOVEMENT WAS A BAD CHOICE AND SHOWED A LACK OF GOOD JUDGEMENT. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY DUE TO THE FACT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE LATTER HALF OF A LONG AND BUSY DAY WHEN FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. ALSO, THERE WAS THE FACTOR OF 'DESTINATIONITIS' OR A DESIRE TO COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED MISSION IN THE REMAINING DAYLIGHT AND RETURN TO BASE. I MUST LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THESE HUMAN FACTORS AND COMPENSATE FOR THEM IN MY DECISION-MAKING AND PLANNING PROCESS.

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.