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A PA31 crew, while clearing the runway at pahs, attempting to avoid a frozen rut, struck a taxiway light with a propeller.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 543800 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 358 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 4600 |
| ASRS Report | 543800 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | excursion : runway ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Airport |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
At approximately XA22 am, while turning from the runway to the taxiway to park, my right propeller (1 blade) hit the light at the turnoff. I inspected the aircraft. I called my company and the nick was filed out. Engine and propeller checked out, and aircraft returned to service. The problem arose because I moved right to avoid the large pothole in the runway, (created last fall by heavy aircraft landing in muddy conditions. The runway then froze in the ruts and will probably thaw again in may) and keeping the pedestrian in sight on my right, who was off the runway but in a very unusual location and watching my aircraft intently (he told me later he'd just scraped the runway and wanted to see how it was holding up to landing aircraft). I looked at him a moment too long trying to figure out why he was staring at my aircraft so intently. I looked forward again for the taxiway turnoff and realized I was turning in too close. While I can seldom see the turnoff light on the right side due to its location and my position sitting in the aircraft, I knew I was close but didn't have time to do much. I supposed I could've slammed on the brakes, but that would've caused massive loose gravel on top of the icy snow. I was also very aware during landing roll that it was really bright out, snow blind bright, increased by the piles of snow outside the parking area. Corrective actions: sunglasses. Going on the left side of the pothole or blithely charging through it. 7 day company suspension reduced to 3 days after they inspected the aircraft and investigated the area. Suspension was, I'm told, primarily to mollify the FAA due to our recent rash of dumb occurrences. Move the taxiway light (suggested). Human factors: I didn't pay close enough attention to my task of exiting the runway safely, let myself get distracted by other items in the runway environment and fatigue. I was in a good mood, it was a beautiful albeit bright day, and all of us are freakin' worn out.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA31 CREW, WHILE CLRING THE RWY AT PAHS, ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A FROZEN RUT, STRUCK A TXWY LIGHT WITH A PROP.
Narrative: AT APPROX XA22 AM, WHILE TURNING FROM THE RWY TO THE TXWY TO PARK, MY R PROP (1 BLADE) HIT THE LIGHT AT THE TURNOFF. I INSPECTED THE ACFT. I CALLED MY COMPANY AND THE NICK WAS FILED OUT. ENG AND PROP CHKED OUT, AND ACFT RETURNED TO SVC. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE I MOVED R TO AVOID THE LARGE POTHOLE IN THE RWY, (CREATED LAST FALL BY HVY ACFT LNDG IN MUDDY CONDITIONS. THE RWY THEN FROZE IN THE RUTS AND WILL PROBABLY THAW AGAIN IN MAY) AND KEEPING THE PEDESTRIAN IN SIGHT ON MY R, WHO WAS OFF THE RWY BUT IN A VERY UNUSUAL LOCATION AND WATCHING MY ACFT INTENTLY (HE TOLD ME LATER HE'D JUST SCRAPED THE RWY AND WANTED TO SEE HOW IT WAS HOLDING UP TO LNDG ACFT). I LOOKED AT HIM A MOMENT TOO LONG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY HE WAS STARING AT MY ACFT SO INTENTLY. I LOOKED FORWARD AGAIN FOR THE TXWY TURNOFF AND REALIZED I WAS TURNING IN TOO CLOSE. WHILE I CAN SELDOM SEE THE TURNOFF LIGHT ON THE R SIDE DUE TO ITS LOCATION AND MY POS SITTING IN THE ACFT, I KNEW I WAS CLOSE BUT DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO MUCH. I SUPPOSED I COULD'VE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, BUT THAT WOULD'VE CAUSED MASSIVE LOOSE GRAVEL ON TOP OF THE ICY SNOW. I WAS ALSO VERY AWARE DURING LNDG ROLL THAT IT WAS REALLY BRIGHT OUT, SNOW BLIND BRIGHT, INCREASED BY THE PILES OF SNOW OUTSIDE THE PARKING AREA. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: SUNGLASSES. GOING ON THE L SIDE OF THE POTHOLE OR BLITHELY CHARGING THROUGH IT. 7 DAY COMPANY SUSPENSION REDUCED TO 3 DAYS AFTER THEY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND INVESTIGATED THE AREA. SUSPENSION WAS, I'M TOLD, PRIMARILY TO MOLLIFY THE FAA DUE TO OUR RECENT RASH OF DUMB OCCURRENCES. MOVE THE TXWY LIGHT (SUGGESTED). HUMAN FACTORS: I DIDN'T PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTN TO MY TASK OF EXITING THE RWY SAFELY, LET MYSELF GET DISTRACTED BY OTHER ITEMS IN THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND FATIGUE. I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL ALBEIT BRIGHT DAY, AND ALL OF US ARE FREAKIN' WORN 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.