Narrative:

When I took off in the plane from marathon; fl (mth); I had unfortunately ran over 4 of the right runway sidelights. It appears there was minimal and repairable damage to the plane. There were a couple small dings in the right propeller that appear to be small enough to be blended/smoothed out. The dings were from the broken glass from the lights. The lights are designed to be low enough to the ground so that the propeller will not hit them. The sidelights are also designed to break off to minimize any damage to aircraft that run over them. The only other minor damage was to the brake deice manifold; which was slightly bent. I will replace it. How did it happen? During the night takeoff from marathon; I did not pick up the initial aircraft drift to the right side of the runway where the runway sidelights are located. I was scanning the power gauges to ensure the correct power was set as I was increasing the power levers to reach takeoff power. I stopped the drift but it was not in time to avoid the sidelights. The right tires are about 10 ft to the right from where I situation and the aircraft nose and right engine blocked my downward view so I did not realize I was going to hit the sidelights. Drift on takeoff is caused by increasing power; which increases the engine torque on the plane during power adjustment; especially while moving the power lever from idle to takeoff power during the takeoff roll. Another reason I did not recognize the right drift and put in an immediate correction back to centerline was that for a few seconds the right sidelights appeared to be a lighted centerline and was momentarily confusing. Once I had the power set and my complete focus was outside the window for the takeoff; it appeared like I was just left of a lighted centerline -- it was actually the white right runway sideline and sidelights. Unlike the left side of the marathon runway where the sidelights are at the edge of the runway; the right sidelights are placed on the runway approximately 50 ft in from the true side of the runway (where the runway pavement stops). So looking outside; in the darkness of night; for those few moments it appeared as if I had 60 ft more paved runway to my right side. This momentary confusion caused me to delay the correction back to centerline and; therefore; run over the sidelights.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT STRUCK FOUR RWY EDGE LIGHTS ON DEPARTURE FROM MTH.

Narrative: WHEN I TOOK OFF IN THE PLANE FROM MARATHON; FL (MTH); I HAD UNFORTUNATELY RAN OVER 4 OF THE R RWY SIDELIGHTS. IT APPEARS THERE WAS MINIMAL AND REPAIRABLE DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. THERE WERE A COUPLE SMALL DINGS IN THE R PROP THAT APPEAR TO BE SMALL ENOUGH TO BE BLENDED/SMOOTHED OUT. THE DINGS WERE FROM THE BROKEN GLASS FROM THE LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ARE DESIGNED TO BE LOW ENOUGH TO THE GND SO THAT THE PROP WILL NOT HIT THEM. THE SIDELIGHTS ARE ALSO DESIGNED TO BREAK OFF TO MINIMIZE ANY DAMAGE TO ACFT THAT RUN OVER THEM. THE ONLY OTHER MINOR DAMAGE WAS TO THE BRAKE DEICE MANIFOLD; WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. I WILL REPLACE IT. HOW DID IT HAPPEN? DURING THE NIGHT TKOF FROM MARATHON; I DID NOT PICK UP THE INITIAL ACFT DRIFT TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY WHERE THE RWY SIDELIGHTS ARE LOCATED. I WAS SCANNING THE PWR GAUGES TO ENSURE THE CORRECT PWR WAS SET AS I WAS INCREASING THE PWR LEVERS TO REACH TKOF PWR. I STOPPED THE DRIFT BUT IT WAS NOT IN TIME TO AVOID THE SIDELIGHTS. THE R TIRES ARE ABOUT 10 FT TO THE R FROM WHERE I SIT AND THE ACFT NOSE AND R ENG BLOCKED MY DOWNWARD VIEW SO I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS GOING TO HIT THE SIDELIGHTS. DRIFT ON TKOF IS CAUSED BY INCREASING PWR; WHICH INCREASES THE ENG TORQUE ON THE PLANE DURING PWR ADJUSTMENT; ESPECIALLY WHILE MOVING THE PWR LEVER FROM IDLE TO TKOF PWR DURING THE TKOF ROLL. ANOTHER REASON I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE R DRIFT AND PUT IN AN IMMEDIATE CORRECTION BACK TO CTRLINE WAS THAT FOR A FEW SECONDS THE R SIDELIGHTS APPEARED TO BE A LIGHTED CTRLINE AND WAS MOMENTARILY CONFUSING. ONCE I HAD THE PWR SET AND MY COMPLETE FOCUS WAS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW FOR THE TKOF; IT APPEARED LIKE I WAS JUST L OF A LIGHTED CTRLINE -- IT WAS ACTUALLY THE WHITE R RWY SIDELINE AND SIDELIGHTS. UNLIKE THE L SIDE OF THE MARATHON RWY WHERE THE SIDELIGHTS ARE AT THE EDGE OF THE RWY; THE R SIDELIGHTS ARE PLACED ON THE RWY APPROX 50 FT IN FROM THE TRUE SIDE OF THE RWY (WHERE THE RWY PAVEMENT STOPS). SO LOOKING OUTSIDE; IN THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT; FOR THOSE FEW MOMENTS IT APPEARED AS IF I HAD 60 FT MORE PAVED RWY TO MY R SIDE. THIS MOMENTARY CONFUSION CAUSED ME TO DELAY THE CORRECTION BACK TO CTRLINE AND; THEREFORE; RUN OVER THE SIDELIGHTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.