Propeller of small aircraft hit runway light.

Attributes
ACN	133170
Time
Date	199001
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 5g0
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 18
ASRS Report	133170
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After preflight and engine run-up, aircraft got stuck in snow when I tried to turn back to runway. Passenger got out and pushed on wing strut. I moved airplane onto a parallel taxiway. After passenger got back in, I noticed that the taxiway in front of me was also blocked by a snow drift, so I decided to go across the grass. I waited for a plane to land and clear the runway. I turned the airplane to the right. I the propeller struck a taxiway or runway light that had been hidden from my view while I was waiting for the other plane to land and while I turned right. Both propeller and runway light were damaged. The engine did not stop on impact. I shut the engine off and we pushed plane to hangar. Correct preventive action: 1) when first stuck in snow, I should have immediately shut engine off, and then moved airplane into proper position by pushing. 2) should not have taxied over a surface unless I had just verified that it was clear. 3) all txwys should have been snow-plowed so that they can be used as intended.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROPELLER OF SMA HIT RWY LIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER PREFLT AND ENG RUN-UP, ACFT GOT STUCK IN SNOW WHEN I TRIED TO TURN BACK TO RWY. PAX GOT OUT AND PUSHED ON WING STRUT. I MOVED AIRPLANE ONTO A PARALLEL TXWY. AFTER PAX GOT BACK IN, I NOTICED THAT THE TXWY IN FRONT OF ME WAS ALSO BLOCKED BY A SNOW DRIFT, SO I DECIDED TO GO ACROSS THE GRASS. I WAITED FOR A PLANE TO LAND AND CLEAR THE RWY. I TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT. I THE PROP STRUCK A TXWY OR RWY LIGHT THAT HAD BEEN HIDDEN FROM MY VIEW WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR THE OTHER PLANE TO LAND AND WHILE I TURNED RIGHT. BOTH PROP AND RWY LIGHT WERE DAMAGED. THE ENG DID NOT STOP ON IMPACT. I SHUT THE ENG OFF AND WE PUSHED PLANE TO HANGAR. CORRECT PREVENTIVE ACTION: 1) WHEN FIRST STUCK IN SNOW, I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY SHUT ENG OFF, AND THEN MOVED AIRPLANE INTO PROPER POS BY PUSHING. 2) SHOULD NOT HAVE TAXIED OVER A SURFACE UNLESS I HAD JUST VERIFIED THAT IT WAS CLEAR. 3) ALL TXWYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN SNOW-PLOWED SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED AS INTENDED.

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