Narrative:

Landing on a hard packed gravel runway at 85 KTS was uneventful at ili in ak. I did not use reverse thrust or brakes so was a little fast. At the end of runway 17 I began to perform a well-controled right 180 degree turn from just left of the center of the 150 ft wide runway. I saw the turn would take me just outside the runway lights by a few ft, but was not concerned because the surface looked the same and there was no danger of hitting a light. Just shortly before completing the turn and approximately 6-10 ft outside the light the left main gear sank about 6 inches in the gravel and I began to pick up gravel with the #1 propeller. I immediately feathered both propellers and sustained damage to the #1 propeller tips. A propeller change was required. Prior to the flight I researched the ili airfield and the ak en route supplement. Kenai FSS faxed me 3 pages of information on the airfield also. Nowhere did it mention to remain inside the lights to avoid damage to your aircraft. The ak supplements need to have some kind of a warning about soft gravel in information handed to pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TURBOPROP STRUCK 1 OF THE PROPS WHEN EXITING THE RWY AFTER LNDG OUTSIDE THE RWY BOUNDARY LIGHTS.

Narrative: LNDG ON A HARD PACKED GRAVEL RWY AT 85 KTS WAS UNEVENTFUL AT ILI IN AK. I DID NOT USE REVERSE THRUST OR BRAKES SO WAS A LITTLE FAST. AT THE END OF RWY 17 I BEGAN TO PERFORM A WELL-CTLED R 180 DEG TURN FROM JUST L OF THE CTR OF THE 150 FT WIDE RWY. I SAW THE TURN WOULD TAKE ME JUST OUTSIDE THE RWY LIGHTS BY A FEW FT, BUT WAS NOT CONCERNED BECAUSE THE SURFACE LOOKED THE SAME AND THERE WAS NO DANGER OF HITTING A LIGHT. JUST SHORTLY BEFORE COMPLETING THE TURN AND APPROX 6-10 FT OUTSIDE THE LIGHT THE L MAIN GEAR SANK ABOUT 6 INCHES IN THE GRAVEL AND I BEGAN TO PICK UP GRAVEL WITH THE #1 PROP. I IMMEDIATELY FEATHERED BOTH PROPS AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE #1 PROP TIPS. A PROP CHANGE WAS REQUIRED. PRIOR TO THE FLT I RESEARCHED THE ILI AIRFIELD AND THE AK ENRTE SUPPLEMENT. KENAI FSS FAXED ME 3 PAGES OF INFO ON THE AIRFIELD ALSO. NOWHERE DID IT MENTION TO REMAIN INSIDE THE LIGHTS TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR ACFT. THE AK SUPPLEMENTS NEED TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A WARNING ABOUT SOFT GRAVEL IN INFO HANDED TO PLTS.

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.