Small aircraft pilot taxied into a ditch at night leaving the FBO at bna.

Attributes
ACN	569054
Time
Date	200212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bna.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2.4 flight time total : 202.7 flight time type : 86.6
ASRS Report	569054
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground controller : approach controller : local
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After start up, talked to approach and ground, and received clearance to taxi. I wanted progressive, but approach, ground, and tower were all on the same frequency, so I taxied out to find the first taxiway where the progressive was to begin. On the tarmac, there was a drain ditch. There are only taxi lights on the opposite side. At night, this was hard to see. I did not identify that there was a ditch or to which side an obstruction would be. This resulted in a propeller strike after entering a ditch. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot was taxiing from the FBO. He does not know the taxiway he departed or where on the airport the incident happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TAXIED INTO A DITCH AT NIGHT LEAVING THE FBO AT BNA.

Narrative: AFTER START UP, TALKED TO APCH AND GND, AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI. I WANTED PROGRESSIVE, BUT APCH, GND, AND TWR WERE ALL ON THE SAME FREQ, SO I TAXIED OUT TO FIND THE FIRST TXWY WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE WAS TO BEGIN. ON THE TARMAC, THERE WAS A DRAIN DITCH. THERE ARE ONLY TAXI LIGHTS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. AT NIGHT, THIS WAS HARD TO SEE. I DID NOT IDENT THAT THERE WAS A DITCH OR TO WHICH SIDE AN OBSTRUCTION WOULD BE. THIS RESULTED IN A PROP STRIKE AFTER ENTERING A DITCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT WAS TAXIING FROM THE FBO. HE DOES NOT KNOW THE TXWY HE DEPARTED OR WHERE ON THE ARPT THE INCIDENT HAPPENED.

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.