A C441 single pilot admitted running a checklist while taxiing in the fog at mtn, causing him to mak...

Attributes
ACN	617369
Time
Date	200405
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mtn.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Conquest I/Conquest II
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 66 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	617369
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	excursion : taxiway non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had planned an IFR flight that was to depart mtn early am. The majority of the field was clear, but when I got to the approach end of runway 33, there was considerable ground fog. The fog was due to the runway's proximity to the chesapeake bay. The ATIS WX at the time was 200 ft obscured and 1/4 mi visibility. The sun was beginning to rise and was making visibility at that end of the field very bad due to glare on the windscreen. I stopped prior to the hold short to await takeoff clearance. After receiving clearance, I moved the aircraft forward. I cannot recall whether the taxi lights were on while I was taxiing, but I did not notice any lights along my path, so I thought I was now on the runway. As I was going forward, I was completing the remaining checklist items in preparation for takeoff. During this time I was looking down. I noticed the aircraft was not moving any more and looked straight down from the side window. The left main wheel was in the grass and the right main was on the pavement. Since the aircraft had come to rest in the grass, I secured the engines, called tower and made arrangements to get pulled out. The ground was quite soft and the aircraft had settled. As I inspected the plane, I saw obvious damage to the left propeller blades, and the damaged taxi light. The light was damaged from the lens retaining ring and up. The base was intact and it appeared that the only damage to the light was the ring, lens and bulb. I could have broken the chain of events to the propeller strike with several actions. Obviously, waiting for the fog to lift, using the other runway, ensuring tower had the lights on, completing my checklist items prior to leaving the hold short, not being distraction and focusing more with the task at hand. I also think my perception of the amount of ground I had actually covered changed when I went into the fog and I had not covered as much ground as I perceived. I have learned some valuable lessons from this event and will not hesitate to share my misfortune with my fellow pilots, and hopefully save them from having an event like this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C441 SINGLE PLT ADMITTED RUNNING A CHKLIST WHILE TAXIING IN THE FOG AT MTN, CAUSING HIM TO MAKE A TXWY EXCURSION, RESULTING IN ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED AN IFR FLT THAT WAS TO DEPART MTN EARLY AM. THE MAJORITY OF THE FIELD WAS CLR, BUT WHEN I GOT TO THE APCH END OF RWY 33, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE GND FOG. THE FOG WAS DUE TO THE RWY'S PROX TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. THE ATIS WX AT THE TIME WAS 200 FT OBSCURED AND 1/4 MI VISIBILITY. THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO RISE AND WAS MAKING VISIBILITY AT THAT END OF THE FIELD VERY BAD DUE TO GLARE ON THE WINDSCREEN. I STOPPED PRIOR TO THE HOLD SHORT TO AWAIT TKOF CLRNC. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC, I MOVED THE ACFT FORWARD. I CANNOT RECALL WHETHER THE TAXI LIGHTS WERE ON WHILE I WAS TAXIING, BUT I DID NOT NOTICE ANY LIGHTS ALONG MY PATH, SO I THOUGHT I WAS NOW ON THE RWY. AS I WAS GOING FORWARD, I WAS COMPLETING THE REMAINING CHKLIST ITEMS IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. DURING THIS TIME I WAS LOOKING DOWN. I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING ANY MORE AND LOOKED STRAIGHT DOWN FROM THE SIDE WINDOW. THE L MAIN WHEEL WAS IN THE GRASS AND THE R MAIN WAS ON THE PAVEMENT. SINCE THE ACFT HAD COME TO REST IN THE GRASS, I SECURED THE ENGS, CALLED TWR AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET PULLED OUT. THE GND WAS QUITE SOFT AND THE ACFT HAD SETTLED. AS I INSPECTED THE PLANE, I SAW OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE L PROP BLADES, AND THE DAMAGED TAXI LIGHT. THE LIGHT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE LENS RETAINING RING AND UP. THE BASE WAS INTACT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE LIGHT WAS THE RING, LENS AND BULB. I COULD HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS TO THE PROP STRIKE WITH SEVERAL ACTIONS. OBVIOUSLY, WAITING FOR THE FOG TO LIFT, USING THE OTHER RWY, ENSURING TWR HAD THE LIGHTS ON, COMPLETING MY CHKLIST ITEMS PRIOR TO LEAVING THE HOLD SHORT, NOT BEING DISTR AND FOCUSING MORE WITH THE TASK AT HAND. I ALSO THINK MY PERCEPTION OF THE AMOUNT OF GND I HAD ACTUALLY COVERED CHANGED WHEN I WENT INTO THE FOG AND I HAD NOT COVERED AS MUCH GND AS I PERCEIVED. I HAVE LEARNED SOME VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THIS EVENT AND WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHARE MY MISFORTUNE WITH MY FELLOW PLTS, AND HOPEFULLY SAVE THEM FROM HAVING AN EVENT LIKE THIS.

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.

A C441 single pilot admitted running a checklist while taxiing in the fog at mtn, causing him to make a taxiway excursion, resulting in aircraft damage.