Narrative:

On the morning of the occurrence, I was delayed departing craig while waiting for the fog to break. My flight was to be in an small aircraft twin which is prone to window fogging on the ground due to the fact that it has no fan nor a combustion heater. This is partly the reason of the occurrence. Before my original departure time I washed the outside windows with water and wiped down the inside of the windows. This usually is enough to get you to the runway for departure, after which time the air flows freely through the defrosters. However, we had to wait because the fog was slow to lift. My passenger and I went inside to wait. We waited for over an hour before the fog at both our departure and destination airports lifted. As we boarded the aircraft and began our taxi, the windows fogged up. I was able to keep a section of the windshield clear by using my hand out the vent window. This allowed me to see for taxi, however, it left a rather limited field of vision. I taxied to the runway without trouble. When I was cleared for takeoff, I proceeded to the end of the runway not thinking much about the runway threshold lights which stick up about 1-2 ft above the ground. As I headed toward the threshold I either did not see or my mind did not register the lights. Needless to say, as I turned to the right to line up for takeoff, my left propeller struck the light. One blade was damaged and the light was shattered. We taxied back to the ramp without further incident. I believe that this could have been avoided by not using the last 100 ft or so of runway before the taxiway. It would also be nice to have some type of fan installed for better defrosting on the ground. Also, my erroneous belief that the small area of the windshield that I cleared was enough to see everything.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING ACFT HIT THRESHOLD LIGHT MOVING ONTO RWY.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF THE OCCURRENCE, I WAS DELAYED DEPARTING CRAIG WHILE WAITING FOR THE FOG TO BREAK. MY FLT WAS TO BE IN AN SMA TWIN WHICH IS PRONE TO WINDOW FOGGING ON THE GND DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT HAS NO FAN NOR A COMBUSTION HEATER. THIS IS PARTLY THE REASON OF THE OCCURRENCE. BEFORE MY ORIGINAL DEP TIME I WASHED THE OUTSIDE WINDOWS WITH WATER AND WIPED DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOWS. THIS USUALLY IS ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO THE RWY FOR DEP, AFTER WHICH TIME THE AIR FLOWS FREELY THROUGH THE DEFROSTERS. HOWEVER, WE HAD TO WAIT BECAUSE THE FOG WAS SLOW TO LIFT. MY PAX AND I WENT INSIDE TO WAIT. WE WAITED FOR OVER AN HR BEFORE THE FOG AT BOTH OUR DEP AND DEST ARPTS LIFTED. AS WE BOARDED THE ACFT AND BEGAN OUR TAXI, THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP A SECTION OF THE WINDSHIELD CLR BY USING MY HAND OUT THE VENT WINDOW. THIS ALLOWED ME TO SEE FOR TAXI, HOWEVER, IT LEFT A RATHER LIMITED FIELD OF VISION. I TAXIED TO THE RWY WITHOUT TROUBLE. WHEN I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF, I PROCEEDED TO THE END OF THE RWY NOT THINKING MUCH ABOUT THE RWY THRESHOLD LIGHTS WHICH STICK UP ABOUT 1-2 FT ABOVE THE GND. AS I HEADED TOWARD THE THRESHOLD I EITHER DID NOT SEE OR MY MIND DID NOT REGISTER THE LIGHTS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, AS I TURNED TO THE RIGHT TO LINE UP FOR TKOF, MY L PROP STRUCK THE LIGHT. ONE BLADE WAS DAMAGED AND THE LIGHT WAS SHATTERED. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY NOT USING THE LAST 100 FT OR SO OF RWY BEFORE THE TXWY. IT WOULD ALSO BE NICE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF FAN INSTALLED FOR BETTER DEFROSTING ON THE GND. ALSO, MY ERRONEOUS BELIEF THAT THE SMALL AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT I CLRED WAS ENOUGH TO SEE EVERYTHING.

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.