Narrative:

I was on my fourth touch and go and had already touched down and lowered the nosewheel. I was slightly left of centerline. The throttle was at idle; speed was about 35 KTS. I had a little right aileron as the wind at that moment was coming from about 290-300 degrees at about 12-15 KTS. I glanced down quickly to be sure I was on the flap switch and retracted the flaps. I was still drifting a little to the left; so I put in a little right rudder to regain runway center. At the same time I saw a hawk at about the 10 O'clock position and about 50-60 ft out about 7 ft high; wings stiff in a glide; coming diagonally across my path; left to right (heading about 070 degrees) in the descent. It was only visible for a second or two but time enough for me to instinctively react and take evasive action. I went for the brakes and attempted to steer slightly to the left of center to avoid a bird strike. When I did this it felt like the wind shifted at the same time now coming from the left to something more like 260 degrees kicking the tail to the right. The plane turned about 15 degrees to the left of straight; more than I anticipated. At that point I tried to steer around the runway light in my path but was too close to accomplish the task. One blade of the propeller struck a runway landing light about 200 yards from the threshold as the plane went onto the grass. By this time I was going much slower; and the throttle was still all the way out. I slowly taxied the plane back onto the runway and up to the tie-down area. I reported the incident to the person at the FBO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT NYO A C172'S PROP STRUCK A RWY LIGHT WHILE EXITING THE RWY ATTEMPTING TO AVOID A BIRD STRIKE AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY FOURTH TOUCH AND GO AND HAD ALREADY TOUCHED DOWN AND LOWERED THE NOSEWHEEL. I WAS SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE. THE THROTTLE WAS AT IDLE; SPD WAS ABOUT 35 KTS. I HAD A LITTLE R AILERON AS THE WIND AT THAT MOMENT WAS COMING FROM ABOUT 290-300 DEGS AT ABOUT 12-15 KTS. I GLANCED DOWN QUICKLY TO BE SURE I WAS ON THE FLAP SWITCH AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. I WAS STILL DRIFTING A LITTLE TO THE L; SO I PUT IN A LITTLE R RUDDER TO REGAIN RWY CTR. AT THE SAME TIME I SAW A HAWK AT ABOUT THE 10 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 50-60 FT OUT ABOUT 7 FT HIGH; WINGS STIFF IN A GLIDE; COMING DIAGONALLY ACROSS MY PATH; L TO R (HDG ABOUT 070 DEGS) IN THE DSCNT. IT WAS ONLY VISIBLE FOR A SECOND OR TWO BUT TIME ENOUGH FOR ME TO INSTINCTIVELY REACT AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION. I WENT FOR THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPTED TO STEER SLIGHTLY TO THE L OF CTR TO AVOID A BIRD STRIKE. WHEN I DID THIS IT FELT LIKE THE WIND SHIFTED AT THE SAME TIME NOW COMING FROM THE L TO SOMETHING MORE LIKE 260 DEGS KICKING THE TAIL TO THE R. THE PLANE TURNED ABOUT 15 DEGS TO THE L OF STRAIGHT; MORE THAN I ANTICIPATED. AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO STEER AROUND THE RWY LIGHT IN MY PATH BUT WAS TOO CLOSE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK. ONE BLADE OF THE PROP STRUCK A RWY LNDG LIGHT ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE THRESHOLD AS THE PLANE WENT ONTO THE GRASS. BY THIS TIME I WAS GOING MUCH SLOWER; AND THE THROTTLE WAS STILL ALL THE WAY OUT. I SLOWLY TAXIED THE PLANE BACK ONTO THE RWY AND UP TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA. I RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE PERSON AT THE FBO.

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.