Narrative:

I was taxiing to runway 24 after contacting islip ground control and requested progressive taxi instructions. I was following the yellow stripe taxi marking that led in the direction of runway 24. The yellow stripe abruptly ended in the middle of the tarmac and there was no further standard taxi markings to follow. Ground control advised me to proceed to taxiway alpha. (I do not think that ground control could see my aircraft from the control tower.) to the left of me there were solid lines with broken lines on the other side; indicating that I should not cross this line. In front of me about 100 ft there was what appeared to me as a taxiway that had blue taxi lights along its perimeter and on either side of the entry to this macadam way there were two low signs the height of the taxi lights; but the front of the signs were facing the other way and the back of the signs with no writing were facing me. To my left there was a white line painted on the tarmac that led to what appeared to be a taxiway. It figured that this was the taxiway to taxiway a. As I entered this area; I felt the bottom of my left wing scrape the low sign that was on the grass adjacent to the tarmac. I stopped the aircraft; shut down the engine; disembarked the discovered written on the other side of these signs that I was on a perimeter road for automobiles. I notified the local airport authorities of the problem; both the airport police and the fire department came to the scene of the incident. I explained to them that there were non-standard markings in a taxi area and that these markings were confusing. They agreed with me that the markings were confusing. No violations were issued. An aircraft tug towed me off the perimeter road. I thoroughly inspected the damaged area of the aircraft and determined that the damage was cosmetic and would not interfere with the airworthiness of the aircraft. From there I proceeded under the aircraft's power and eventually returned to FBO where I tied down the aircraft. I have since flown the aircraft to maintenance for the damages to be repaired. I believe that the safety of the pilots has been compromised through the ambiguous and confusing markings in the taxi area. This incident would have been totally avoided if the reverse side of the perimeter entry way roadway signs (the side facing the taxiway) had been simply marked with a warning 'no aircraft -- vehicles only' or something to that effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20 PLT RPTS DAMAGE TO ACFT AFTER INADVERTENT TAXI ONTO VEHICLE ROAD AT ISP.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING TO RWY 24 AFTER CONTACTING ISLIP GND CTL AND REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS FOLLOWING THE YELLOW STRIPE TAXI MARKING THAT LED IN THE DIRECTION OF RWY 24. THE YELLOW STRIPE ABRUPTLY ENDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TARMAC AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER STANDARD TAXI MARKINGS TO FOLLOW. GND CTL ADVISED ME TO PROCEED TO TXWY ALPHA. (I DO NOT THINK THAT GND CTL COULD SEE MY ACFT FROM THE CTL TOWER.) TO THE LEFT OF ME THERE WERE SOLID LINES WITH BROKEN LINES ON THE OTHER SIDE; INDICATING THAT I SHOULD NOT CROSS THIS LINE. IN FRONT OF ME ABOUT 100 FT THERE WAS WHAT APPEARED TO ME AS A TXWY THAT HAD BLUE TAXI LIGHTS ALONG ITS PERIMETER AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTRY TO THIS MACADAM WAY THERE WERE TWO LOW SIGNS THE HEIGHT OF THE TAXI LIGHTS; BUT THE FRONT OF THE SIGNS WERE FACING THE OTHER WAY AND THE BACK OF THE SIGNS WITH NO WRITING WERE FACING ME. TO MY LEFT THERE WAS A WHITE LINE PAINTED ON THE TARMAC THAT LED TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A TXWY. IT FIGURED THAT THIS WAS THE TXWY TO TXWY A. AS I ENTERED THIS AREA; I FELT THE BOTTOM OF MY LEFT WING SCRAPE THE LOW SIGN THAT WAS ON THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE TARMAC. I STOPPED THE ACFT; SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE; DISEMBARKED THE DISCOVERED WRITTEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THESE SIGNS THAT I WAS ON A PERIMETER ROAD FOR AUTOMOBILES. I NOTIFIED THE LOCAL ARPT AUTHORITIES OF THE PROB; BOTH THE ARPT POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THERE WERE NON-STANDARD MARKINGS IN A TAXI AREA AND THAT THESE MARKINGS WERE CONFUSING. THEY AGREED WITH ME THAT THE MARKINGS WERE CONFUSING. NO VIOLATIONS WERE ISSUED. AN ACFT TUG TOWED ME OFF THE PERIMETER ROAD. I THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE DAMAGED AREA OF THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS COSMETIC AND WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. FROM THERE I PROCEEDED UNDER THE ACFT'S PWR AND EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO FBO WHERE I TIED DOWN THE ACFT. I HAVE SINCE FLOWN THE ACFT TO MAINT FOR THE DAMAGES TO BE REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THAT THE SAFETY OF THE PLTS HAS BEEN COMPROMISED THROUGH THE AMBIGUOUS AND CONFUSING MARKINGS IN THE TAXI AREA. THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED IF THE REVERSE SIDE OF THE PERIMETER ENTRY WAY ROADWAY SIGNS (THE SIDE FACING THE TXWY) HAD BEEN SIMPLY MARKED WITH A WARNING 'NO ACFT -- VEHICLES ONLY' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.

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.