Nose gear damaged while taxiing over a drain grate on taxiway. Flight continued, but postflt inspect...

Attributes
ACN	108824
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tri
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 540 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	108824
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While taxiout for takeoff we taxied over a water grate. The nose gear hit hard on the grate. I thought that it had fallen in, but the airplane kept moving. We taxied onto the runway, but I was worried, so I taxied back off and did a nose steering test and taxied around. Everything was normal. We reported what we thought was a hole to the tower. After takeoff we got a nose gear in transit light that would not go off. I decided to continue to nashville since it was a better equipped airport and to burn up fuel in the event we could not get the gear down. On arrival in bna everything was normal on landing. The mechanics looked at the aircraft and found major structural damage and nose gear damage--$100000 worth. Water grates are a hazard and danger to aircraft and should not be put by a yellow taxi line. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: my company got on the airport manager and the drain was reconstructed immediately. It is now almost as smooth as the taxiway. You hardly notice it when you taxi over it. The old drain and grate cover had sunk into the asphalt. I guess everyone had been avoiding the grate. I did not know it was there until I hit it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE GEAR DAMAGED WHILE TAXIING OVER A DRAIN GRATE ON TXWY. FLT CONTINUED, BUT POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED MAJOR DAMAGE.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIOUT FOR TKOF WE TAXIED OVER A WATER GRATE. THE NOSE GEAR HIT HARD ON THE GRATE. I THOUGHT THAT IT HAD FALLEN IN, BUT THE AIRPLANE KEPT MOVING. WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, BUT I WAS WORRIED, SO I TAXIED BACK OFF AND DID A NOSE STEERING TEST AND TAXIED AROUND. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WE RPTED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A HOLE TO THE TWR. AFTER TKOF WE GOT A NOSE GEAR IN TRANSIT LIGHT THAT WOULD NOT GO OFF. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO NASHVILLE SINCE IT WAS A BETTER EQUIPPED ARPT AND TO BURN UP FUEL IN THE EVENT WE COULD NOT GET THE GEAR DOWN. ON ARR IN BNA EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL ON LNDG. THE MECHS LOOKED AT THE ACFT AND FOUND MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND NOSE GEAR DAMAGE--$100000 WORTH. WATER GRATES ARE A HAZARD AND DANGER TO ACFT AND SHOULD NOT BE PUT BY A YELLOW TAXI LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: MY COMPANY GOT ON THE ARPT MGR AND THE DRAIN WAS RECONSTRUCTED IMMEDIATELY. IT IS NOW ALMOST AS SMOOTH AS THE TXWY. YOU HARDLY NOTICE IT WHEN YOU TAXI OVER IT. THE OLD DRAIN AND GRATE COVER HAD SUNK INTO THE ASPHALT. I GUESS EVERYONE HAD BEEN AVOIDING THE GRATE. I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS THERE UNTIL I HIT IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Nose gear damaged while taxiing over a drain grate on taxiway. Flight continued, but postflt inspection revealed major damage.