Narrative:

I made a cross country trip to kucy for an overnight personal trip to see family and friends. In preparation to return to ktki, I preflighted the aircraft and I walked around the aircraft to visually check the surrounding area before I taxied to the departure end of the runway. The ramp area on the southeast end of the airport apron where the aircraft was tied down was completely dark with very little ambient light from a far away flood light near the terminal building and adjacent hangers. From my position, I observed the distant blue taxiway lighting and the apron appeared to be clear for taxi to the taxiway. As I began to taxi, suddenly out of the dark, the landing light illuminated a small grass area in the middle of the apron. The grass area was too close to avoid by turning either direction. However, I was able to stop the aircraft just short of an unmarked and unlit drainage area complete with a concrete reinforced pipe. The area itself was approximately 10 ft by 15 ft, with surrounding apron gently sloping to the drainage area. Apparently, the area in question is visible in the daylight hours and therefore avoidable. However, at night, it is disguised in the darkness and you don't know it is there until it is almost too late. I write this as a suggestion for some type of remedy to a potentially dangerous situation. Perhaps, the area could be paved, installing a steel grate that an aircraft could taxi over. If not, perhaps the area could be lit with blue taxi lights and at the very least, it could be marked with blue reflective type markers. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter reiterated what he stated in the report. The south ramp area, which extends much further to the south than depicted on the commercial aeronautical chart, is unlighted. This area as described by the reporter, is an older portion of the apron and contains an unmarked grass area in which a concrete drainage pipe is located. While taxiing to the northwest, to join the main taxiway, (old runway) the unmarked area loomed ahead of the aircraft. He feels fortunate that he was able to stop in time to avoid any damage to his aircraft, I. East. Propeller damage and or related engine damage.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT, WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT KUCY, ENCOUNTERED AN UNLIGHTED GRASS AREA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APRON.

Narrative: I MADE A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP TO KUCY FOR AN OVERNIGHT PERSONAL TRIP TO SEE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IN PREPARATION TO RETURN TO KTKI, I PREFLIGHTED THE ACFT AND I WALKED AROUND THE ACFT TO VISUALLY CHK THE SURROUNDING AREA BEFORE I TAXIED TO THE DEP END OF THE RWY. THE RAMP AREA ON THE SE END OF THE ARPT APRON WHERE THE ACFT WAS TIED DOWN WAS COMPLETELY DARK WITH VERY LITTLE AMBIENT LIGHT FROM A FAR AWAY FLOOD LIGHT NEAR THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND ADJACENT HANGERS. FROM MY POSITION, I OBSERVED THE DISTANT BLUE TXWY LIGHTING AND THE APRON APPEARED TO BE CLR FOR TAXI TO THE TXWY. AS I BEGAN TO TAXI, SUDDENLY OUT OF THE DARK, THE LNDG LIGHT ILLUMINATED A SMALL GRASS AREA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APRON. THE GRASS AREA WAS TOO CLOSE TO AVOID BY TURNING EITHER DIRECTION. HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACFT JUST SHORT OF AN UNMARKED AND UNLIT DRAINAGE AREA COMPLETE WITH A CONCRETE REINFORCED PIPE. THE AREA ITSELF WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FT BY 15 FT, WITH SURROUNDING APRON GENTLY SLOPING TO THE DRAINAGE AREA. APPARENTLY, THE AREA IN QUESTION IS VISIBLE IN THE DAYLIGHT HRS AND THEREFORE AVOIDABLE. HOWEVER, AT NIGHT, IT IS DISGUISED IN THE DARKNESS AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT IS THERE UNTIL IT IS ALMOST TOO LATE. I WRITE THIS AS A SUGGESTION FOR SOME TYPE OF REMEDY TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SIT. PERHAPS, THE AREA COULD BE PAVED, INSTALLING A STEEL GRATE THAT AN ACFT COULD TAXI OVER. IF NOT, PERHAPS THE AREA COULD BE LIT WITH BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AND AT THE VERY LEAST, IT COULD BE MARKED WITH BLUE REFLECTIVE TYPE MARKERS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REITERATED WHAT HE STATED IN THE RPT. THE S RAMP AREA, WHICH EXTENDS MUCH FURTHER TO THE S THAN DEPICTED ON THE COMMERCIAL AERO CHART, IS UNLIGHTED. THIS AREA AS DESCRIBED BY THE RPTR, IS AN OLDER PORTION OF THE APRON AND CONTAINS AN UNMARKED GRASS AREA IN WHICH A CONCRETE DRAINAGE PIPE IS LOCATED. WHILE TAXIING TO THE NW, TO JOIN THE MAIN TXWY, (OLD RWY) THE UNMARKED AREA LOOMED AHEAD OF THE ACFT. HE FEELS FORTUNATE THAT HE WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME TO AVOID ANY DAMAGE TO HIS ACFT, I. E. PROP DAMAGE AND OR RELATED ENGINE DAMAGE.

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.