Narrative:

After refueling, I obtained a preflight briefing, reviewed the radar maps, and proceeded to taxi out to the runway 36L for runup prior to departure. All checks were found to be operational and within normal range. Tower authority/authorized taxi into position and issued a departure clearance. On taxi onto the runway, I heard a sound and felt a small vibration. This occurred again. I told the tower that I needed to taxi off the runway due to suspected problem, and they authority/authorized a 180 degree turn or taxi down the runway to the next exit. During taxi off the runway, there were no abnormal vibrations, recurring abnormal sounds, or any indication that there was any aircraft malfunction. The aircraft was parked on the ramp, and on inspection the propeller blades had been damaged from contact with suspected runway marker lights. These lights were not seen prior to contact with the propeller. It is my perception that these lights were not lit, and I proceeded to taxi onto the runway, striking them en route. My taxi light was on, and this did not facilitate observing the runway markers. Perhaps, were the lights to have a reflective tape/paint they would have been illuminated by the taxi lamp thereby preventing a propeller strike of these ground objects. More intimate knowledge of the airport ground geography and the position of the lights may have prevented this event, however, lacking visual identify of the obstruction would potentially trigger a similar event. Incidentally, the propeller shop in orlando, fl, told me that this was the third event of its type that they knew of so far this yr. They said it was unfortunate, but 'good for business.' I am not sure of the facts surrounding this anecdote, but if true, there may be a systematic problem creating these events. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that an airport service vehicle examined the area and found that the aircraft did strike a runway edge marker light near the edge of the runway and taxiway. However, the light was checked as working earlier in the evening but could not be substantiated that it had been working at the time of the strike by the aircraft propeller. He rementioned that the propeller shop had stated that there had been several other incidents. He realizes that he was turning close to the edge of the taxiway onto the runway and could not see close to the aircraft while turning due to the low wing of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT TAXIED OVER A RWY MARKER LIGHT WHILE TAXIING INTO POS FOR TKOF RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT PROP.

Narrative: AFTER REFUELING, I OBTAINED A PREFLT BRIEFING, REVIEWED THE RADAR MAPS, AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI OUT TO THE RWY 36L FOR RUNUP PRIOR TO DEP. ALL CHKS WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATIONAL AND WITHIN NORMAL RANGE. TWR AUTH TAXI INTO POS AND ISSUED A DEP CLRNC. ON TAXI ONTO THE RWY, I HEARD A SOUND AND FELT A SMALL VIBRATION. THIS OCCURRED AGAIN. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I NEEDED TO TAXI OFF THE RWY DUE TO SUSPECTED PROB, AND THEY AUTH A 180 DEG TURN OR TAXI DOWN THE RWY TO THE NEXT EXIT. DURING TAXI OFF THE RWY, THERE WERE NO ABNORMAL VIBRATIONS, RECURRING ABNORMAL SOUNDS, OR ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WAS ANY ACFT MALFUNCTION. THE ACFT WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP, AND ON INSPECTION THE PROP BLADES HAD BEEN DAMAGED FROM CONTACT WITH SUSPECTED RWY MARKER LIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS WERE NOT SEEN PRIOR TO CONTACT WITH THE PROP. IT IS MY PERCEPTION THAT THESE LIGHTS WERE NOT LIT, AND I PROCEEDED TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY, STRIKING THEM ENRTE. MY TAXI LIGHT WAS ON, AND THIS DID NOT FACILITATE OBSERVING THE RWY MARKERS. PERHAPS, WERE THE LIGHTS TO HAVE A REFLECTIVE TAPE/PAINT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLUMINATED BY THE TAXI LAMP THEREBY PREVENTING A PROP STRIKE OF THESE GND OBJECTS. MORE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARPT GND GEOGRAPHY AND THE POS OF THE LIGHTS MAY HAVE PREVENTED THIS EVENT, HOWEVER, LACKING VISUAL IDENT OF THE OBSTRUCTION WOULD POTENTIALLY TRIGGER A SIMILAR EVENT. INCIDENTALLY, THE PROP SHOP IN ORLANDO, FL, TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD EVENT OF ITS TYPE THAT THEY KNEW OF SO FAR THIS YR. THEY SAID IT WAS UNFORTUNATE, BUT 'GOOD FOR BUSINESS.' I AM NOT SURE OF THE FACTS SURROUNDING THIS ANECDOTE, BUT IF TRUE, THERE MAY BE A SYSTEMATIC PROB CREATING THESE EVENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT AN ARPT SVC VEHICLE EXAMINED THE AREA AND FOUND THAT THE ACFT DID STRIKE A RWY EDGE MARKER LIGHT NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RWY AND TXWY. HOWEVER, THE LIGHT WAS CHKED AS WORKING EARLIER IN THE EVENING BUT COULD NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED THAT IT HAD BEEN WORKING AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE BY THE ACFT PROP. HE REMENTIONED THAT THE PROP SHOP HAD STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS. HE REALIZES THAT HE WAS TURNING CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE TXWY ONTO THE RWY AND COULD NOT SEE CLOSE TO THE ACFT WHILE TURNING DUE TO THE LOW WING OF THE ACFT.

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.