Narrative:

FBO manager told pilot that the aircraft could not be parked in front of FBO, it had to be parked on the southeast part of the field. (All other local aircraft were parked on the northeast and northwest parking areas. There was a single aircraft parked in the southeast area.) pilot taxied the aircraft down the runway and proceeded off of the runway across the grass to the parking/tiedown area. Pilot decided to taxi around the tiedown area and taxi into the parking spot from the rear. (Rather than taxiing through the tiedown area, and risk the propeller getting tangled with tiedown ropes and tiedown location markers, which were old aircraft tires turned on their sides.) pilot taxied around, and the nosewheel of the aircraft fell into a 1 ft deep hole (that the pilot did not see). The propeller then impacted the ground damaging the propeller. Only the propeller was damaged, and the aircraft was not taxiing for the purpose of flight and therefore the event is not a rptable accident by FAA/NTSB standards. The hole was in very close proximity to the tiedown area. Grounds personnel had mowed the grass over this area in such a way that the area looked level and safe to the pilot taxiing. In order to gain access to the tiedown area, all aircraft would have to taxi through this area. Grounds personnel should have filled in the hole when it was discovered, ie, during the weekly mowing. At the very least, airport personnel should have marked the area with an orange cone or two. Airport personnel did not fill in the hole or mark the area after this event. I am forced to conclude that some other pilot will make the same mistake. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the tiedown area is located approximately 3/4 of the way down and 20-30 ft to the east of runway 18. It's comprised of 3 tiedowns, oriented to face the runway. At the time of the occurrence, the most northerly spot was occupied by a light twin. The reporter stated he attempted to circumnav the tiedown spots to the south, over cut grass, in order to approach the selected spot from the east, eliminating a high power swing around. Unfortunately, the grass provided cover for the unwelcomed hole. The reporter announced that he, along with the aircraft owner, has advised the airport manager of the hazard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK HIS ACFT AT INDIAN HEAD (2W5), MD, TAXIED INTO A HOLE, DAMAGING THE PROP.

Narrative: FBO MGR TOLD PLT THAT THE ACFT COULD NOT BE PARKED IN FRONT OF FBO, IT HAD TO BE PARKED ON THE SE PART OF THE FIELD. (ALL OTHER LCL ACFT WERE PARKED ON THE NE AND NW PARKING AREAS. THERE WAS A SINGLE ACFT PARKED IN THE SE AREA.) PLT TAXIED THE ACFT DOWN THE RWY AND PROCEEDED OFF OF THE RWY ACROSS THE GRASS TO THE PARKING/TIEDOWN AREA. PLT DECIDED TO TAXI AROUND THE TIEDOWN AREA AND TAXI INTO THE PARKING SPOT FROM THE REAR. (RATHER THAN TAXIING THROUGH THE TIEDOWN AREA, AND RISK THE PROP GETTING TANGLED WITH TIEDOWN ROPES AND TIEDOWN LOCATION MARKERS, WHICH WERE OLD ACFT TIRES TURNED ON THEIR SIDES.) PLT TAXIED AROUND, AND THE NOSEWHEEL OF THE ACFT FELL INTO A 1 FT DEEP HOLE (THAT THE PLT DID NOT SEE). THE PROP THEN IMPACTED THE GND DAMAGING THE PROP. ONLY THE PROP WAS DAMAGED, AND THE ACFT WAS NOT TAXIING FOR THE PURPOSE OF FLT AND THEREFORE THE EVENT IS NOT A RPTABLE ACCIDENT BY FAA/NTSB STANDARDS. THE HOLE WAS IN VERY CLOSE PROX TO THE TIEDOWN AREA. GNDS PERSONNEL HAD MOWED THE GRASS OVER THIS AREA IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE AREA LOOKED LEVEL AND SAFE TO THE PLT TAXIING. IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE TIEDOWN AREA, ALL ACFT WOULD HAVE TO TAXI THROUGH THIS AREA. GNDS PERSONNEL SHOULD HAVE FILLED IN THE HOLE WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED, IE, DURING THE WKLY MOWING. AT THE VERY LEAST, ARPT PERSONNEL SHOULD HAVE MARKED THE AREA WITH AN ORANGE CONE OR TWO. ARPT PERSONNEL DID NOT FILL IN THE HOLE OR MARK THE AREA AFTER THIS EVENT. I AM FORCED TO CONCLUDE THAT SOME OTHER PLT WILL MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TIEDOWN AREA IS LOCATED APPROX 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN AND 20-30 FT TO THE E OF RWY 18. IT'S COMPRISED OF 3 TIEDOWNS, ORIENTED TO FACE THE RWY. AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, THE MOST NORTHERLY SPOT WAS OCCUPIED BY A LIGHT TWIN. THE RPTR STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO CIRCUMNAV THE TIEDOWN SPOTS TO THE S, OVER CUT GRASS, IN ORDER TO APCH THE SELECTED SPOT FROM THE E, ELIMINATING A HIGH PWR SWING AROUND. UNFORTUNATELY, THE GRASS PROVIDED COVER FOR THE UNWELCOMED HOLE. THE RPTR ANNOUNCED THAT HE, ALONG WITH THE ACFT OWNER, HAS ADVISED THE ARPT MGR OF THE HAZARD.

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.