Narrative:

I landed visually on runway 28R at pdx; pulled out to A5 high speed taxiway. While on A5; tower cleared me to taxi via A5; taxiway a; to the FBO on this frequency. I was on the centerline traveling at about 10 mph. I acknowledged the clearance; performed my after landing checklist. There was a light rain and the taxiway and ramp was wet. As I taxied on A5; I was facing the airline ramp which had lots of large light lighting the ramp area. I could see the blue taxi lights ahead coming to an end so I figured I was approaching my turn to taxiway a. I couldn't see a centerline marking turning in the direction to head east on taxiway a so after I saw a break in the blue taxiway light ahead of my left engine; and a large black area to my 11 O'clock position; I began my turn down taxiway a. I did a quick scan to confirm I had completed my after landing checklist. I scanned the area ahead and from right to left and suddenly saw the yellow box housing the pulsating taxiway marking lights (I was heading towards the back side of the box illuminated from my taxi light. I began a corrective turn to the right but the propeller on my left engine caught the box. The box was dislodged and my propeller bent. I shut down the engine immediately and advised tower that I had struck the taxi light and requested a tow from the FBO. The port authority/authorized representative came out to assess the situation. When the tug arrived at the airplane; we towed the airplane to the FBO. The customer service representative said that there was a similar incident which had occurred at the same area about a month or two earlier. I should have waited until I had the centerline of taxiway a; the parallel taxiway; in sight before I left the centerline I was on; and kept a better watch on the area I was turning into.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH VISION HINDERED BY BRIGHT RAMP LIGHTS AND REFLECTIVE WET TXWYS; PLT OF PA42 TAXIES OFF THE HARD SURFACE AND IMPACTS LIGHT HOUSING STRUCTURE WITH L PROP.

Narrative: I LANDED VISUALLY ON RWY 28R AT PDX; PULLED OUT TO A5 HIGH SPD TXWY. WHILE ON A5; TWR CLRED ME TO TAXI VIA A5; TXWY A; TO THE FBO ON THIS FREQ. I WAS ON THE CTRLINE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 10 MPH. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC; PERFORMED MY AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. THERE WAS A LIGHT RAIN AND THE TXWY AND RAMP WAS WET. AS I TAXIED ON A5; I WAS FACING THE AIRLINE RAMP WHICH HAD LOTS OF LARGE LIGHT LIGHTING THE RAMP AREA. I COULD SEE THE BLUE TAXI LIGHTS AHEAD COMING TO AN END SO I FIGURED I WAS APCHING MY TURN TO TXWY A. I COULDN'T SEE A CTRLINE MARKING TURNING IN THE DIRECTION TO HEAD E ON TXWY A SO AFTER I SAW A BREAK IN THE BLUE TXWY LIGHT AHEAD OF MY L ENG; AND A LARGE BLACK AREA TO MY 11 O'CLOCK POS; I BEGAN MY TURN DOWN TXWY A. I DID A QUICK SCAN TO CONFIRM I HAD COMPLETED MY AFTER LNDG CHKLIST. I SCANNED THE AREA AHEAD AND FROM R TO L AND SUDDENLY SAW THE YELLOW BOX HOUSING THE PULSATING TXWY MARKING LIGHTS (I WAS HEADING TOWARDS THE BACK SIDE OF THE BOX ILLUMINATED FROM MY TAXI LIGHT. I BEGAN A CORRECTIVE TURN TO THE R BUT THE PROP ON MY L ENG CAUGHT THE BOX. THE BOX WAS DISLODGED AND MY PROP BENT. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG IMMEDIATELY AND ADVISED TWR THAT I HAD STRUCK THE TAXI LIGHT AND REQUESTED A TOW FROM THE FBO. THE PORT AUTH REPRESENTATIVE CAME OUT TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. WHEN THE TUG ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE; WE TOWED THE AIRPLANE TO THE FBO. THE CUSTOMER SVC REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THERE WAS A SIMILAR INCIDENT WHICH HAD OCCURRED AT THE SAME AREA ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO EARLIER. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL I HAD THE CTRLINE OF TXWY A; THE PARALLEL TXWY; IN SIGHT BEFORE I LEFT THE CTRLINE I WAS ON; AND KEPT A BETTER WATCH ON THE AREA I WAS TURNING INTO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.