Narrative:

I was taking my boyfriend for a flight. I was somewhat more distraction than usual because he rarely flies with me and I wanted to be sure he was comfortable. It was hot in the airplane while we were taxiing and I talked to him about how to open the air vents. I was also a little preoccupied with the WX and what my plan was going to be. Our original destination was socked in with a low ceiling; and while I had printed out information on several other airports in different directions; I had heard about a front moving in and wanted to be sure to get back before the WX changed. I was also trying to determine where to get fuel during the trip. I told him I decided we'd just fly locally; and he said; why don't we head out east and see what it looks like? -- We can always come back. So I agreed. I should mention that the WX was beautiful locally; with sunshine and just a few clouds. We got to the run-up area for runway 24 and I pulled forward in the space to allow another plane to fit in behind me if necessary. The front of my plane was 6 or 8 ft (estimated) in front of the grassy area; facing it. This airport is a busy one and there are always other planes taxiing by or running up simultaneously. I was about to start going through the checklist and had not yet put on the emergency brake. My feet were on the brakes; though. I had some conversation with my boyfriend again about ventilation; and we were both looking at something low on the panel. I'm not sure if at that point I was showing him the cabin air knob or reaching for something in the right door pocket. In any case; I was distraction and not looking out the front window. I did not look up until I felt the ground become lumpy; and when I looked out; I realized we had rolled slowly onto the grass. My mains were on the grass; but we were right at the corner of the grassy area that leads back to the taxiway. I didn't think to turn off the engine; get out and push us back into the run-up area. I thought I could easily make a sharp right turn and get back onto the taxiway. In so doing; I ran over one of the taxiway lights; which my propeller shredded into smithereens. We taxied back to a run-up area that was not being used (the one for runway 15) and shut down. When I got out; I saw that my propeller was substantially damaged from impacting the metal of the taxi light. I called the terminal to let them know about the broken glass on the taxiway. The contributing factors to this incident were my allowing myself to get distraction by my boyfriend being in the plane and my desire to make him comfortable. Usually I am so strict about keeping a sterile cockpit; so this was unlike me. I was also undecided about the plans for the flight; which was taking up some mental space. In addition; I neglected to set the emergency brake while I attended to something that was not on my checklist. Another factor was that it should have occurred to me that there might be a taxiway light right in front of me that I would hit. I thought about shutting down and said to myself; 'you can't get out of the plane in the run-up area.' yet that would have been the better solution. I also want to add that part of my preoccupation with where we would be going was born of my frustration with trying and failing to get a telephone WX briefing in the morning. I called WX brief twice and held on for at least 10-15 mins each time; and I finally gave up. It's not an excuse -- I did get a duats briefing -- but for me that's not as thorough as a telephone briefing; especially when I'm looking to fly in more than one direction and really need the big picture. That does not excuse my distraction during taxi/run-up; though.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PILOT FAILED TO SET A PARKING BRAKE; WAS DISTRACTED SHOWING A FRIEND THE ACFT VENTS IN HOT WX AND TAXIED INTO TXWY LIGHTS; DAMAGING THE PROP.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING MY BOYFRIEND FOR A FLT. I WAS SOMEWHAT MORE DISTR THAN USUAL BECAUSE HE RARELY FLIES WITH ME AND I WANTED TO BE SURE HE WAS COMFORTABLE. IT WAS HOT IN THE AIRPLANE WHILE WE WERE TAXIING AND I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT HOW TO OPEN THE AIR VENTS. I WAS ALSO A LITTLE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE WX AND WHAT MY PLAN WAS GOING TO BE. OUR ORIGINAL DEST WAS SOCKED IN WITH A LOW CEILING; AND WHILE I HAD PRINTED OUT INFO ON SEVERAL OTHER ARPTS IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS; I HAD HEARD ABOUT A FRONT MOVING IN AND WANTED TO BE SURE TO GET BACK BEFORE THE WX CHANGED. I WAS ALSO TRYING TO DETERMINE WHERE TO GET FUEL DURING THE TRIP. I TOLD HIM I DECIDED WE'D JUST FLY LOCALLY; AND HE SAID; WHY DON'T WE HEAD OUT E AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE? -- WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK. SO I AGREED. I SHOULD MENTION THAT THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL LOCALLY; WITH SUNSHINE AND JUST A FEW CLOUDS. WE GOT TO THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 24 AND I PULLED FORWARD IN THE SPACE TO ALLOW ANOTHER PLANE TO FIT IN BEHIND ME IF NECESSARY. THE FRONT OF MY PLANE WAS 6 OR 8 FT (ESTIMATED) IN FRONT OF THE GRASSY AREA; FACING IT. THIS ARPT IS A BUSY ONE AND THERE ARE ALWAYS OTHER PLANES TAXIING BY OR RUNNING UP SIMULTANEOUSLY. I WAS ABOUT TO START GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST AND HAD NOT YET PUT ON THE EMER BRAKE. MY FEET WERE ON THE BRAKES; THOUGH. I HAD SOME CONVERSATION WITH MY BOYFRIEND AGAIN ABOUT VENTILATION; AND WE WERE BOTH LOOKING AT SOMETHING LOW ON THE PANEL. I'M NOT SURE IF AT THAT POINT I WAS SHOWING HIM THE CABIN AIR KNOB OR REACHING FOR SOMETHING IN THE R DOOR POCKET. IN ANY CASE; I WAS DISTR AND NOT LOOKING OUT THE FRONT WINDOW. I DID NOT LOOK UP UNTIL I FELT THE GND BECOME LUMPY; AND WHEN I LOOKED OUT; I REALIZED WE HAD ROLLED SLOWLY ONTO THE GRASS. MY MAINS WERE ON THE GRASS; BUT WE WERE RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF THE GRASSY AREA THAT LEADS BACK TO THE TXWY. I DIDN'T THINK TO TURN OFF THE ENG; GET OUT AND PUSH US BACK INTO THE RUN-UP AREA. I THOUGHT I COULD EASILY MAKE A SHARP R TURN AND GET BACK ONTO THE TXWY. IN SO DOING; I RAN OVER ONE OF THE TXWY LIGHTS; WHICH MY PROP SHREDDED INTO SMITHEREENS. WE TAXIED BACK TO A RUN-UP AREA THAT WAS NOT BEING USED (THE ONE FOR RWY 15) AND SHUT DOWN. WHEN I GOT OUT; I SAW THAT MY PROP WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FROM IMPACTING THE METAL OF THE TAXI LIGHT. I CALLED THE TERMINAL TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE BROKEN GLASS ON THE TXWY. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE MY ALLOWING MYSELF TO GET DISTR BY MY BOYFRIEND BEING IN THE PLANE AND MY DESIRE TO MAKE HIM COMFORTABLE. USUALLY I AM SO STRICT ABOUT KEEPING A STERILE COCKPIT; SO THIS WAS UNLIKE ME. I WAS ALSO UNDECIDED ABOUT THE PLANS FOR THE FLT; WHICH WAS TAKING UP SOME MENTAL SPACE. IN ADDITION; I NEGLECTED TO SET THE EMER BRAKE WHILE I ATTENDED TO SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ON MY CHKLIST. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A TXWY LIGHT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME THAT I WOULD HIT. I THOUGHT ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN AND SAID TO MYSELF; 'YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF THE PLANE IN THE RUN-UP AREA.' YET THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BETTER SOLUTION. I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT PART OF MY PREOCCUPATION WITH WHERE WE WOULD BE GOING WAS BORN OF MY FRUSTRATION WITH TRYING AND FAILING TO GET A TELEPHONE WX BRIEFING IN THE MORNING. I CALLED WX BRIEF TWICE AND HELD ON FOR AT LEAST 10-15 MINS EACH TIME; AND I FINALLY GAVE UP. IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE -- I DID GET A DUATS BRIEFING -- BUT FOR ME THAT'S NOT AS THOROUGH AS A TELEPHONE BRIEFING; ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M LOOKING TO FLY IN MORE THAN ONE DIRECTION AND REALLY NEED THE BIG PICTURE. THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE MY DISTR DURING TAXI/RUN-UP; THOUGH.

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.