Narrative:

On oct/sat/94, about PM45 local time, I requested from ground control 'supervised taxiing to the active, runway 5.' my position was in front of the terminal, opposite of the yellow marker: 'runway 23 (31 or 13.' I received from ground control instruction 'turn left and keep left.' soon, I noticed that I did enter a parking area. I was at the height of the third parked plane. At that time, I transmitted to ground control my doubts that I was heading on the taxiway but rather for a parking area. I asked whether I can turn around. I was told that to his knowledge (ground control) I have to go to the end of this area and then return on the other side (southwest parking area). I barely made it ok at the 'the end' and managed to turn to the other side without damage. I continued cautiously but could not see a protruding unpainted curbstone. I hit the curbstone with my right main gear tire and the right propeller. I stopped the engine at once and checked the damage. The right propeller blade was 'shaved off' 2 inches both sides. I also noticed that opposite of my present position an airplane was parked 'protruding' because its elevator was abutted against the pole of the flood light. In addition, this flood light and 2 additional flood lights were not operational as well as the flood light in the same height of the neighboring street. In other words, 4 flood lights were not working in this critical area. In my opinion, ground control should have not only supervised the taxiing, but should have warned me about the impassable parking area when I transmitted my doubts to ground control. The police report was made. The name of the ground controller is B, who I asked to make sure that the tape of my transmission will be saved. The tow truck driver and I, we had to untie an airplane and push back in order to pass the area by tow truck. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the ramp area in question is not visible from the tower. A similar incident happened to another seneca within the last month or so. The reporter does not know if the lights have been repaired. The local FAA office says that this is not their problem. The reporter must take it up with the port authority. The reporter would like to sue the port authority, but his insurance company is waiting for the outcome of the previous incident. The reporter believes that the FAA should be held partially liable as the reporter asked for help in taxiing and did not get it. From talking to the reporter it seems that there may have been a language barrier problem in taxi directions. The reporter asked for 'supervised taxi instructions' and got no help as he didn't as for 'progressive taxi instructions.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SENECA PROP HIT A CURB IN AN UNLIT PARKING AREA.

Narrative: ON OCT/SAT/94, ABOUT PM45 LCL TIME, I REQUESTED FROM GND CTL 'SUPERVISED TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE, RWY 5.' MY POS WAS IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL, OPPOSITE OF THE YELLOW MARKER: 'RWY 23 (31 OR 13.' I RECEIVED FROM GND CTL INSTRUCTION 'TURN L AND KEEP L.' SOON, I NOTICED THAT I DID ENTER A PARKING AREA. I WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE THIRD PARKED PLANE. AT THAT TIME, I XMITTED TO GND CTL MY DOUBTS THAT I WAS HDG ON THE TXWY BUT RATHER FOR A PARKING AREA. I ASKED WHETHER I CAN TURN AROUND. I WAS TOLD THAT TO HIS KNOWLEDGE (GND CTL) I HAVE TO GO TO THE END OF THIS AREA AND THEN RETURN ON THE OTHER SIDE (SW PARKING AREA). I BARELY MADE IT OK AT THE 'THE END' AND MANAGED TO TURN TO THE OTHER SIDE WITHOUT DAMAGE. I CONTINUED CAUTIOUSLY BUT COULD NOT SEE A PROTRUDING UNPAINTED CURBSTONE. I HIT THE CURBSTONE WITH MY R MAIN GEAR TIRE AND THE R PROP. I STOPPED THE ENG AT ONCE AND CHKED THE DAMAGE. THE R PROP BLADE WAS 'SHAVED OFF' 2 INCHES BOTH SIDES. I ALSO NOTICED THAT OPPOSITE OF MY PRESENT POS AN AIRPLANE WAS PARKED 'PROTRUDING' BECAUSE ITS ELEVATOR WAS ABUTTED AGAINST THE POLE OF THE FLOOD LIGHT. IN ADDITION, THIS FLOOD LIGHT AND 2 ADDITIONAL FLOOD LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATIONAL AS WELL AS THE FLOOD LIGHT IN THE SAME HEIGHT OF THE NEIGHBORING STREET. IN OTHER WORDS, 4 FLOOD LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING IN THIS CRITICAL AREA. IN MY OPINION, GND CTL SHOULD HAVE NOT ONLY SUPERVISED THE TAXIING, BUT SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME ABOUT THE IMPASSABLE PARKING AREA WHEN I XMITTED MY DOUBTS TO GND CTL. THE POLICE RPT WAS MADE. THE NAME OF THE GND CTLR IS B, WHO I ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAPE OF MY XMISSION WILL BE SAVED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER AND I, WE HAD TO UNTIE AN AIRPLANE AND PUSH BACK IN ORDER TO PASS THE AREA BY TOW TRUCK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RAMP AREA IN QUESTION IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED TO ANOTHER SENECA WITHIN THE LAST MONTH OR SO. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW IF THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED. THE LCL FAA OFFICE SAYS THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR PROB. THE RPTR MUST TAKE IT UP WITH THE PORT AUTHORITY. THE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SUE THE PORT AUTHORITY, BUT HIS INSURANCE COMPANY IS WAITING FOR THE OUTCOME OF THE PREVIOUS INCIDENT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE FAA SHOULD BE HELD PARTIALLY LIABLE AS THE RPTR ASKED FOR HELP IN TAXIING AND DID NOT GET IT. FROM TALKING TO THE RPTR IT SEEMS THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LANGUAGE BARRIER PROB IN TAXI DIRECTIONS. THE RPTR ASKED FOR 'SUPERVISED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS' AND GOT NO HELP AS HE DIDN'T AS FOR 'PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS.'

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.