Small aircraft taxiing to parking has taxiway excursion, tire rolls into culvert. Aircraft damaged.

Attributes
ACN	217170
Time
Date	199207
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : brd
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
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 : 82 flight time total : 1923 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	217170
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxiing aircraft to parking, got off the taxiway. No taxiway lights, dark night (no moon). Stopped aircraft to get my bearings, turned right to get back to taxiway. Pilot's side tire rolled into culvert, damaged wingtip -- not an accident per NTSB part 830. As long as I was stopped, should have shut down and walked area back to taxiway. Fatigue may have been a factor up at XA00 am this day. Culvert was a topless model. Aircraft was a tail dragger. Airport was not home base although we're in there quite often. Night current pilot. Far wings program completed in last 3 months. Bad luck?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIING TO PARKING HAS TAXIWAY EXCURSION, TIRE ROLLS INTO CULVERT. ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: TAXIING ACFT TO PARKING, GOT OFF THE TAXIWAY. NO TAXIWAY LIGHTS, DARK NIGHT (NO MOON). STOPPED ACFT TO GET MY BEARINGS, TURNED R TO GET BACK TO TAXIWAY. PLT'S SIDE TIRE ROLLED INTO CULVERT, DAMAGED WINGTIP -- NOT AN ACCIDENT PER NTSB PART 830. AS LONG AS I WAS STOPPED, SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN AND WALKED AREA BACK TO TAXIWAY. FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR UP AT XA00 AM THIS DAY. CULVERT WAS A TOPLESS MODEL. ACFT WAS A TAIL DRAGGER. ARPT WAS NOT HOME BASE ALTHOUGH WE'RE IN THERE QUITE OFTEN. NIGHT CURRENT PLT. FAR WINGS PROGRAM COMPLETED IN LAST 3 MONTHS. BAD LUCK?

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.