Narrative:

I was the pilot of a part 135 flight originating and terminating in omaha, northeast (oma) with stops in lincoln, northeast (lnk) and kansas city, mo (mkc). Arriving at the lincoln airport, I landed runway 35L. I exited the runway at taxiway K and taxied to the ramp. The visibility on the ground was approximately 1 1/2 mi, with periods of lower visibility due to increased snowfall, blowing snow and/or both. The ramp had not been plowed and contained snow drifts, I estimated at over 12 inches. I waited for the courier. During this time I noted that the snow plows had begun work on the ramp. After loading the freight I taxied to what I believed at the time to be the ramp taxiway. There was a snow ridge of approximately 24 inches on the edge of the taxiway, and seeing no alternative, I taxied over it. The nose went up higher than I expected, but not enough to alarm me. Arriving in kansas city I walked around the airplane and spent extra time inspecting the airplane's propellers, wingtips, and the landing gear, noting no damage. I returned to oma. When I got back to omaha, the airplane was put in a hangar where I conducted the post-flight inspection. It was not until this time that I could see that the tail cone of the airplane had been cracked along the bottom side, and the metal that the tail tie-down was attached to was slightly bent. There was a small amount of dirt and grass in the plastic portion of the tail strike. I now realized that I had probably not taxied to the ramp taxiway. In reviewing the taxi diagram, I conjecture that I had instead taxied across the ramp taxiway and then across a helipad that is located between the 2 txwys, actually cutting across a small grass area between the parallel taxiway and the helipad. I had no idea that anything on the aircraft had sustained damage. If I had thought that was a possibility, I would have taxied back to the ramp in lnk. My inspection of the aircraft in mkc was somewhat cursory, and it never occurred to me to look at the bottom side of the tail because the ht it sits off the ramp, I would never have believed that it was possible to have nosed up high enough to cause it damage. I have often wondered what the rationale is of keeping a runway clear for landing, but not clearing an area for an airplane to taxi to after exiting the runway. If I had this to do over again, I would have refused to taxi on the ramp until a plow could be dispatched to clear me a way to taxi onto, and off of the ramp.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX TAXIES OVER SNOW RIDGE, DAMAGED TAIL CONE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT OF A PART 135 FLT ORIGINATING AND TERMINATING IN OMAHA, NE (OMA) WITH STOPS IN LINCOLN, NE (LNK) AND KANSAS CITY, MO (MKC). ARRIVING AT THE LINCOLN ARPT, I LANDED RWY 35L. I EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY K AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THE VISIBILITY ON THE GND WAS APPROX 1 1/2 MI, WITH PERIODS OF LOWER VISIBILITY DUE TO INCREASED SNOWFALL, BLOWING SNOW AND/OR BOTH. THE RAMP HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED AND CONTAINED SNOW DRIFTS, I ESTIMATED AT OVER 12 INCHES. I WAITED FOR THE COURIER. DURING THIS TIME I NOTED THAT THE SNOW PLOWS HAD BEGUN WORK ON THE RAMP. AFTER LOADING THE FREIGHT I TAXIED TO WHAT I BELIEVED AT THE TIME TO BE THE RAMP TXWY. THERE WAS A SNOW RIDGE OF APPROX 24 INCHES ON THE EDGE OF THE TXWY, AND SEEING NO ALTERNATIVE, I TAXIED OVER IT. THE NOSE WENT UP HIGHER THAN I EXPECTED, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO ALARM ME. ARRIVING IN KANSAS CITY I WALKED AROUND THE AIRPLANE AND SPENT EXTRA TIME INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE'S PROPS, WINGTIPS, AND THE LNDG GEAR, NOTING NO DAMAGE. I RETURNED TO OMA. WHEN I GOT BACK TO OMAHA, THE AIRPLANE WAS PUT IN A HANGAR WHERE I CONDUCTED THE POST-FLT INSPECTION. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THIS TIME THAT I COULD SEE THAT THE TAIL CONE OF THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN CRACKED ALONG THE BOTTOM SIDE, AND THE METAL THAT THE TAIL TIE-DOWN WAS ATTACHED TO WAS SLIGHTLY BENT. THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF DIRT AND GRASS IN THE PLASTIC PORTION OF THE TAIL STRIKE. I NOW REALIZED THAT I HAD PROBABLY NOT TAXIED TO THE RAMP TXWY. IN REVIEWING THE TAXI DIAGRAM, I CONJECTURE THAT I HAD INSTEAD TAXIED ACROSS THE RAMP TXWY AND THEN ACROSS A HELIPAD THAT IS LOCATED BTWN THE 2 TXWYS, ACTUALLY CUTTING ACROSS A SMALL GRASS AREA BTWN THE PARALLEL TXWY AND THE HELIPAD. I HAD NO IDEA THAT ANYTHING ON THE ACFT HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE. IF I HAD THOUGHT THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY, I WOULD HAVE TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP IN LNK. MY INSPECTION OF THE ACFT IN MKC WAS SOMEWHAT CURSORY, AND IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE TAIL BECAUSE THE HT IT SITS OFF THE RAMP, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO HAVE NOSED UP HIGH ENOUGH TO CAUSE IT DAMAGE. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHAT THE RATIONALE IS OF KEEPING A RWY CLR FOR LNDG, BUT NOT CLRING AN AREA FOR AN AIRPLANE TO TAXI TO AFTER EXITING THE RWY. IF I HAD THIS TO DO OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE REFUSED TO TAXI ON THE RAMP UNTIL A PLOW COULD BE DISPATCHED TO CLR ME A WAY TO TAXI ONTO, AND OFF OF THE RAMP.

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.