BE1900 flight crew ran over taxiway light taxiing out for takeoff at night and did not realize that ...

Attributes
ACN	542993
Time
Date	200204
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 2157 flight time type : 540
ASRS Report	542993
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	543802
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical excursion : taxiway ground encounters other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine sound in flt other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While taxiing on taxiway north, boston tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 22R from runway 15L intersection. As the captain taxied, I completed the taxi checklist. The captain then called for the before takeoff checklist. As I began the flight control 'tops' check (aileron and elevator), I heard a sound, sort of a 'clink' type of sound. The captain asked, 'what was that?' I replied that I did not know, but the noise occurred as I was checking the 'tops.' at this point we had not quite reached the active runway 22R. The captain began a right 180 degree turn toward taxiway north (we were somewhere on runway 15L, northeast of runway 22R), and asked me to tell tower we were not ready for departure, I complied. The tower cleared us to taxi on taxiway north to the end of runway 22R to use the full length. The captain paused the aircraft on taxiway north, as no other aircraft were in the area and proceeded to check the flight controls. He seemed to think the noise could have been generated by the flight controls, thus our evaluation centered on checking flight control movement. We found nothing wrong with the movement of the control column or the visual check of the ailerons. The captain seemed to be debating whether or not to return to the gate, but on seeing/detecting/or hearing nothing unusual again, decided to continue the taxi. I was unclr as to the significance of the sound and felt that if the captain was not alarmed it was most likely not a problem. As we taxied on taxiway north, tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 22R. The captain called for the takeoff checklist. I repeated the flight control checks as did the captain, numerous times. Again we noted nothing wrong. Takeoff proceeded normally, and the rest of the flight seemed uneventful. The captain asked at a couple different times during the flight if I thought the right side engine sounded louder. I replied that I could not tell. As it was the captain's leg to fly, I could not tell how the aircraft handled. As the aircraft slowed for landing, I noticed a cyclical 'patter' type sound. The sound increased as speed decreased, especially on rollout and taxi. We parked the aircraft at the gate, deplaned the passenger normally and I did a post-flight inspection. I noted damage to 2 blade tips on the right propeller. A call to mass port in boston (by the company) revealed a damaged or missing taxi light on taxiway north, near runway 15L. It seems that on taxi on runway 15L to runway 22R the captain struck a taxi light and was unaware of this. Supplemental information from acn 543802: on postflt following, we noticed damage on 2 propeller blade tips, right side. Probably cause, must have struck taxi light or other object departing boston (logan international) at night. Judgement, although we heard a metallic sound from the right side of the aircraft and when airborne thought that the right propeller sounded slightly louder than normal, we did not consider the possibility of propeller damage and thought it safe to continue flight. Conclusion: we should have returned to boston and had the 'noises' checked out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE1900 FLC RAN OVER TXWY LIGHT TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT NIGHT AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE R PROP HAD BEEN DAMAGED UNTIL POSTFLT INSPECTION AT DEST.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ON TXWY N, BOSTON TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 22R FROM RWY 15L INTXN. AS THE CAPT TAXIED, I COMPLETED THE TAXI CHKLIST. THE CAPT THEN CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. AS I BEGAN THE FLT CTL 'TOPS' CHK (AILERON AND ELEVATOR), I HEARD A SOUND, SORT OF A 'CLINK' TYPE OF SOUND. THE CAPT ASKED, 'WHAT WAS THAT?' I REPLIED THAT I DID NOT KNOW, BUT THE NOISE OCCURRED AS I WAS CHKING THE 'TOPS.' AT THIS POINT WE HAD NOT QUITE REACHED THE ACTIVE RWY 22R. THE CAPT BEGAN A R 180 DEG TURN TOWARD TXWY N (WE WERE SOMEWHERE ON RWY 15L, NE OF RWY 22R), AND ASKED ME TO TELL TWR WE WERE NOT READY FOR DEP, I COMPLIED. THE TWR CLRED US TO TAXI ON TXWY N TO THE END OF RWY 22R TO USE THE FULL LENGTH. THE CAPT PAUSED THE ACFT ON TXWY N, AS NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA AND PROCEEDED TO CHK THE FLT CTLS. HE SEEMED TO THINK THE NOISE COULD HAVE BEEN GENERATED BY THE FLT CTLS, THUS OUR EVALUATION CTRED ON CHKING FLT CTL MOVEMENT. WE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE CTL COLUMN OR THE VISUAL CHK OF THE AILERONS. THE CAPT SEEMED TO BE DEBATING WHETHER OR NOT TO RETURN TO THE GATE, BUT ON SEEING/DETECTING/OR HEARING NOTHING UNUSUAL AGAIN, DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE TAXI. I WAS UNCLR AS TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SOUND AND FELT THAT IF THE CAPT WAS NOT ALARMED IT WAS MOST LIKELY NOT A PROB. AS WE TAXIED ON TXWY N, TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF ON RWY 22R. THE CAPT CALLED FOR THE TKOF CHKLIST. I REPEATED THE FLT CTL CHKS AS DID THE CAPT, NUMEROUS TIMES. AGAIN WE NOTED NOTHING WRONG. TKOF PROCEEDED NORMALLY, AND THE REST OF THE FLT SEEMED UNEVENTFUL. THE CAPT ASKED AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE FLT IF I THOUGHT THE R SIDE ENG SOUNDED LOUDER. I REPLIED THAT I COULD NOT TELL. AS IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG TO FLY, I COULD NOT TELL HOW THE ACFT HANDLED. AS THE ACFT SLOWED FOR LNDG, I NOTICED A CYCLICAL 'PATTER' TYPE SOUND. THE SOUND INCREASED AS SPD DECREASED, ESPECIALLY ON ROLLOUT AND TAXI. WE PARKED THE ACFT AT THE GATE, DEPLANED THE PAX NORMALLY AND I DID A POST-FLT INSPECTION. I NOTED DAMAGE TO 2 BLADE TIPS ON THE R PROP. A CALL TO MASS PORT IN BOSTON (BY THE COMPANY) REVEALED A DAMAGED OR MISSING TAXI LIGHT ON TXWY N, NEAR RWY 15L. IT SEEMS THAT ON TAXI ON RWY 15L TO RWY 22R THE CAPT STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT AND WAS UNAWARE OF THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 543802: ON POSTFLT FOLLOWING, WE NOTICED DAMAGE ON 2 PROP BLADE TIPS, R SIDE. PROBABLY CAUSE, MUST HAVE STRUCK TAXI LIGHT OR OTHER OBJECT DEPARTING BOSTON (LOGAN INTL) AT NIGHT. JUDGEMENT, ALTHOUGH WE HEARD A METALLIC SOUND FROM THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND WHEN AIRBORNE THOUGHT THAT THE R PROP SOUNDED SLIGHTLY LOUDER THAN NORMAL, WE DID NOT CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF PROP DAMAGE AND THOUGHT IT SAFE TO CONTINUE FLT. CONCLUSION: WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO BOSTON AND HAD THE 'NOISES' CHKED OUT.

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.

BE1900 flight crew ran over taxiway light taxiing out for takeoff at night and did not realize that the right propeller had been damaged until postflt inspection at destination.