Narrative:

I was on a flight to brookings; sd (bkx). The flight had lasted 2.5 hours on the tach. We landed in brookings. I was traveling with my wife; who is also a private pilot; but she has less experience than I (approximately 1/2 the flight hours.) since I was not expecting weather to be an issue; I did a duats briefing. There were no NOTAMS about lighting troubles on the brookings airport. The flight was uneventful. It was dark when we arrived at brookings. The ASOS reported winds were 070 degrees at 05 KTS; temperature was above freezing (+3C) and dew point below freezing (-3C I believe). There was no moon that night. We landed on runway 12 and chose to continue taxiing on the runway towards the terminal area since it was so dark. We turned off on taxiway A2 which leads directly to the passenger terminal area which is fairly well lit. There are blue lights along this portion of the taxiway. We crossed the parallel taxiway; which is also lit by blue lights. I turned off my strobe lights once I cleared the runway as I was taught to do. The next portion of this taxiway is not lined with blue lights; but continues straight to the main ramp area and towards the part 121 terminal building which was brightly lit. I continued taxiing and turned right towards the GA ramp; since I thought I had reached the main ramp. The right wheel made a slight bump as I came off the taxiway since the taxiway and grass are fairly level there. It took a moment to realize I was off the taxiway from the uneven ground and the right wing impacted the sign as I was starting to apply brakes. My wife opened the door and saw the damage to the wing. We grabbed our coats from the back seat and got out; since we didn't know if fuel was leaking. Neither of us were injured in any way. I am fairly comfortable flying at night; having completed at least half of my instrument training at night; and I took my instrument check ride at night. Before this flight I have 36 hours of night flying. I had completed 3 solo landings to a full stop 30 days ago; with this flight as my first night flight since then. Looking back at it; the ramp is very wide; 250+ ft. It would have been easy to continue taxiing forward towards more light before turning right towards the GA area. Taxiing towards the bright lights probably deteriorated my night vision. A contributing factor is that the back of the runway sign was blacked out; making it impossible to see when taxiing towards the ramp. I spoke with the airport manager the next morning; and he said there have been similar accidents recently. He wished that he could either put reflective tape or a lighted terminal sign on the back side; but that he had been told that was against FAA regulations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PILOT HIT A SIGN WITH HIS WINGTIP WHILE TAXIING TO THE BKX RAMP AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLIGHT TO BROOKINGS; SD (BKX). THE FLIGHT HAD LASTED 2.5 HOURS ON THE TACH. WE LANDED IN BROOKINGS. I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY WIFE; WHO IS ALSO A PRIVATE PILOT; BUT SHE HAS LESS EXPERIENCE THAN I (APPROXIMATELY 1/2 THE FLIGHT HOURS.) SINCE I WAS NOT EXPECTING WEATHER TO BE AN ISSUE; I DID A DUATS BRIEFING. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS ABOUT LIGHTING TROUBLES ON THE BROOKINGS AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WAS DARK WHEN WE ARRIVED AT BROOKINGS. THE ASOS REPORTED WINDS WERE 070 DEGS AT 05 KTS; TEMP WAS ABOVE FREEZING (+3C) AND DEW POINT BELOW FREEZING (-3C I BELIEVE). THERE WAS NO MOON THAT NIGHT. WE LANDED ON RUNWAY 12 AND CHOSE TO CONTINUE TAXIING ON THE RUNWAY TOWARDS THE TERMINAL AREA SINCE IT WAS SO DARK. WE TURNED OFF ON TAXIWAY A2 WHICH LEADS DIRECTLY TO THE PASSENGER TERMINAL AREA WHICH IS FAIRLY WELL LIT. THERE ARE BLUE LIGHTS ALONG THIS PORTION OF THE TAXIWAY. WE CROSSED THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY; WHICH IS ALSO LIT BY BLUE LIGHTS. I TURNED OFF MY STROBE LIGHTS ONCE I CLEARED THE RUNWAY AS I WAS TAUGHT TO DO. THE NEXT PORTION OF THIS TAXIWAY IS NOT LINED WITH BLUE LIGHTS; BUT CONTINUES STRAIGHT TO THE MAIN RAMP AREA AND TOWARDS THE PART 121 TERMINAL BUILDING WHICH WAS BRIGHTLY LIT. I CONTINUED TAXIING AND TURNED RIGHT TOWARDS THE GA RAMP; SINCE I THOUGHT I HAD REACHED THE MAIN RAMP. THE RIGHT WHEEL MADE A SLIGHT BUMP AS I CAME OFF THE TAXIWAY SINCE THE TAXIWAY AND GRASS ARE FAIRLY LEVEL THERE. IT TOOK A MOMENT TO REALIZE I WAS OFF THE TAXIWAY FROM THE UNEVEN GROUND AND THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE SIGN AS I WAS STARTING TO APPLY BRAKES. MY WIFE OPENED THE DOOR AND SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE WING. WE GRABBED OUR COATS FROM THE BACK SEAT AND GOT OUT; SINCE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF FUEL WAS LEAKING. NEITHER OF US WERE INJURED IN ANY WAY. I AM FAIRLY COMFORTABLE FLYING AT NIGHT; HAVING COMPLETED AT LEAST HALF OF MY INSTRUMENT TRAINING AT NIGHT; AND I TOOK MY INSTRUMENT CHECK RIDE AT NIGHT. BEFORE THIS FLIGHT I HAVE 36 HOURS OF NIGHT FLYING. I HAD COMPLETED 3 SOLO LANDINGS TO A FULL STOP 30 DAYS AGO; WITH THIS FLIGHT AS MY FIRST NIGHT FLIGHT SINCE THEN. LOOKING BACK AT IT; THE RAMP IS VERY WIDE; 250+ FT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO CONTINUE TAXIING FORWARD TOWARDS MORE LIGHT BEFORE TURNING RIGHT TOWARDS THE GA AREA. TAXIING TOWARDS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS PROBABLY DETERIORATED MY NIGHT VISION. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THE BACK OF THE RUNWAY SIGN WAS BLACKED OUT; MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WHEN TAXIING TOWARDS THE RAMP. I SPOKE WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER THE NEXT MORNING; AND HE SAID THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR ACCIDENTS RECENTLY. HE WISHED THAT HE COULD EITHER PUT REFLECTIVE TAPE OR A LIGHTED TERMINAL SIGN ON THE BACK SIDE; BUT THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD THAT WAS AGAINST FAA REGULATIONS.

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.