Narrative:

I was flying a C172RG. The WX was: sky clear; visibility 12 mi; and sunny. I performed a normal landing on runway 17 at copeland airport (4t2). I exited the runway to the right; and taxied onto a gravel taxiway on the west side of the runway. I continued north on the taxiway. When the taxiway turns left at the intersection of runway 12-30; the surface had some potholes. I moved right to avoid the potholes; and the right main landing gear started to slide into a gulley. I tried to correct with left rudder/brakes; and some throttle; but the aircraft kept going to the right. The right main wheel and nosewheel slipped into a small depression. The propeller struck the uneven dirt; and I immediately shut the engine off. Both propeller blades were bent and damaged; but the rest of the airframe was undamaged. I walked to the hangar; and a mechanic on duty towed the aircraft to the ramp for tie down. I then called the flight school on my cell phone to report the incident. I later learned the gravel taxiway was not in use; even though it connects to runway 17. Before the flight; I checked with website online; and the site did not have a taxiway diagram. You can see the runway 17 on satellite image using these coordinates: 32 58 38 40 north; 97 29 30 37 west. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he selected the VFR airport at random; but was unable to locate an airport diagram. A website was utilized to obtain a satellite image of the airport prior to flight. With this image in mind; after landing; he exited onto what may have once been a parallel taxiway; but the surface condition became progressively worse as he proceeded. He now realized that he was on a poorly maintained access road; but he had gone too far to turn back. The right main gear slipped into a rut; and a propeller strike resulted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 EXITED RWY AT KENNETH COPELAND ARPT (4T2) ONTO WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A GRAVEL TAXIWAY. PLT REALIZED HE WAS ACTUALLY ON A POORLY MAINTAINED ACCESS ROAD AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK UNEVEN SURFACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A C172RG. THE WX WAS: SKY CLR; VISIBILITY 12 MI; AND SUNNY. I PERFORMED A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 17 AT COPELAND ARPT (4T2). I EXITED THE RWY TO THE R; AND TAXIED ONTO A GRAVEL TXWY ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY. I CONTINUED N ON THE TXWY. WHEN THE TXWY TURNS L AT THE INTXN OF RWY 12-30; THE SURFACE HAD SOME POTHOLES. I MOVED R TO AVOID THE POTHOLES; AND THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR STARTED TO SLIDE INTO A GULLEY. I TRIED TO CORRECT WITH L RUDDER/BRAKES; AND SOME THROTTLE; BUT THE ACFT KEPT GOING TO THE R. THE R MAIN WHEEL AND NOSEWHEEL SLIPPED INTO A SMALL DEPRESSION. THE PROP STRUCK THE UNEVEN DIRT; AND I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE ENG OFF. BOTH PROP BLADES WERE BENT AND DAMAGED; BUT THE REST OF THE AIRFRAME WAS UNDAMAGED. I WALKED TO THE HANGAR; AND A MECH ON DUTY TOWED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP FOR TIE DOWN. I THEN CALLED THE FLT SCHOOL ON MY CELL PHONE TO RPT THE INCIDENT. I LATER LEARNED THE GRAVEL TXWY WAS NOT IN USE; EVEN THOUGH IT CONNECTS TO RWY 17. BEFORE THE FLT; I CHKED WITH WEBSITE ONLINE; AND THE SITE DID NOT HAVE A TXWY DIAGRAM. YOU CAN SEE THE RWY 17 ON SATELLITE IMAGE USING THESE COORDINATES: 32 58 38 40 N; 97 29 30 37 W. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT HE SELECTED THE VFR ARPT AT RANDOM; BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE AN AIRPORT DIAGRAM. A WEBSITE WAS UTILIZED TO OBTAIN A SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE ARPT PRIOR TO FLT. WITH THIS IMAGE IN MIND; AFTER LNDG; HE EXITED ONTO WHAT MAY HAVE ONCE BEEN A PARALLEL TAXIWAY; BUT THE SURFACE CONDITION BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS HE PROCEEDED. HE NOW REALIZED THAT HE WAS ON A POORLY MAINTAINED ACCESS ROAD; BUT HE HAD GONE TOO FAR TO TURN BACK. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR SLIPPED INTO A RUT; AND A PROP STRIKE RESULTED.

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.