Aircraft damaged when pilot of PA38 taxies into unmarked, water filled hole in ramp at sgr.

Attributes
ACN	615549
Time
Date	200404
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sgr.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-38 Tomahawk
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 106.71 flight time total : 557.4 flight time type : 190.1
ASRS Report	615549
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
Airport	taxiway surface condition : sgr.airport

Narrative:

While taxiing to a public airport hangar, the nose of the airplane suddenly sunk into a pothole covered with water allowing the propeller blades to strike the ground. The airport manager knew the existence of the hole, but failed to take corrective action to repair the area. A combination of natural light reflection and old settled murky water obstructed the view of the hole at any distance. If corrective action had been taken as requested several times by the hangar tenant prior to this incident, this would have never happened. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised the hole has finally been repaired and the airport management's insurance carrier has agreed to repair the damaged aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED WHEN PLT OF PA38 TAXIES INTO UNMARKED, WATER FILLED HOLE IN RAMP AT SGR.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO A PUBLIC ARPT HANGAR, THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY SUNK INTO A POTHOLE COVERED WITH WATER ALLOWING THE PROP BLADES TO STRIKE THE GND. THE ARPT MGR KNEW THE EXISTENCE OF THE HOLE, BUT FAILED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION TO REPAIR THE AREA. A COMBINATION OF NATURAL LIGHT REFLECTION AND OLD SETTLED MURKY WATER OBSTRUCTED THE VIEW OF THE HOLE AT ANY DISTANCE. IF CORRECTIVE ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN AS REQUESTED SEVERAL TIMES BY THE HANGAR TENANT PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THE HOLE HAS FINALLY BEEN REPAIRED AND THE ARPT MGMNT'S INSURANCE CARRIER HAS AGREED TO REPAIR THE DAMAGED ACFT.

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.