Narrative:

Upon completing runup and receiving IFR clearance instructions from ATC (sea approach, 127.1), proceeded to taxi into position for departure from runway 19, bremerton national airport. While taxiing, safety pilot and pilot were both scanning the airport approachs for traffic. CTAF was monitored and departure announced. At the point of reaching the runway a right turn to the runway was begun at which time the aircraft's right wheel dropped into a depression and the propeller struck. At the time the propeller struck, the throttle setting was approximately 1000 FPM and 12-15 inches of manifold pressure. The engine did not falter nor stop. After shutting down and inspecting, it was discovered that the propeller tips (4 inches) were bent out of alignment. The engine was restarted and the plane taxied to the tie-down ramp without further incident. The propeller strike was affected by a misjudgement on the part of the pilot as to the runway centerline. In the dark, the runway lights gave the impression that the center had been reached when in fact it had not. The left wing mounted taxi light did not properly illuminate the immediate right turn area as to create a night time blind spot. The uncontrolled airport required pilot attention to be diverted from the taxiway to the approach airspace. The taxiway/runway intersection design has a definite depression into which a wheel can fall. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had 'cut' the corner of the taxiway onto the end of the runway causing the aircraft right landing gear to roll through the 'gutter' depression. He further stated that this probably would not have happened in daylight conditions since the aircraft would have remained on the taxiway until reaching the runway. However, if a taxi light/runway light was mounted in the depression area, it would probably prevent a future occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED INTO TXWY DEPRESSION AT NIGHT CAUSING PROP DAMAGE.

Narrative: UPON COMPLETING RUNUP AND RECEIVING IFR CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC (SEA APCH, 127.1), PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO POS FOR DEP FROM RWY 19, BREMERTON NATIONAL ARPT. WHILE TAXIING, SAFETY PLT AND PLT WERE BOTH SCANNING THE ARPT APCHS FOR TFC. CTAF WAS MONITORED AND DEP ANNOUNCED. AT THE POINT OF REACHING THE RWY A R TURN TO THE RWY WAS BEGUN AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT'S R WHEEL DROPPED INTO A DEPRESSION AND THE PROP STRUCK. AT THE TIME THE PROP STRUCK, THE THROTTLE SETTING WAS APPROX 1000 FPM AND 12-15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THE ENG DID NOT FALTER NOR STOP. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND INSPECTING, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PROP TIPS (4 INCHES) WERE BENT OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE ENG WAS RESTARTED AND THE PLANE TAXIED TO THE TIE-DOWN RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PROP STRIKE WAS AFFECTED BY A MISJUDGEMENT ON THE PART OF THE PLT AS TO THE RWY CTRLINE. IN THE DARK, THE RWY LIGHTS GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CTR HAD BEEN REACHED WHEN IN FACT IT HAD NOT. THE L WING MOUNTED TAXI LIGHT DID NOT PROPERLY ILLUMINATE THE IMMEDIATE R TURN AREA AS TO CREATE A NIGHT TIME BLIND SPOT. THE UNCTLED ARPT REQUIRED PLT ATTN TO BE DIVERTED FROM THE TXWY TO THE APCH AIRSPACE. THE TXWY/RWY INTXN DESIGN HAS A DEFINITE DEPRESSION INTO WHICH A WHEEL CAN FALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD 'CUT' THE CORNER OF THE TXWY ONTO THE END OF THE RWY CAUSING THE ACFT R LNDG GEAR TO ROLL THROUGH THE 'GUTTER' DEPRESSION. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS SINCE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE REMAINED ON THE TXWY UNTIL REACHING THE RWY. HOWEVER, IF A TAXI LIGHT/RWY LIGHT WAS MOUNTED IN THE DEPRESSION AREA, IT WOULD PROBABLY PREVENT A FUTURE OCCURRENCE.

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.