Narrative:

Pdx tower instructed me to, 'taxi into position and hold runway 10R, and be prepared for an immediate departure, jet on 2.5 mi final.' I taxied onto the runway, behind an MD80 that had just landed, and rolled up to the numbers. The jet was unable to clear the runway at the requested taxiway, and remained on the runway longer than expected. The tower controller then said to me, 'clear the runway.' I immediately turned 180 degrees and proceeded directed to the taxiway from which I entered the runway, using the runway edge lighting as a guide to stay on the pavement. I looked up to see the transport jet on final then looked back to my taxi path just in time to see a taxi light pass beneath my left nacelle and felt a small bump as if my wheel had bumped something. I noticed no noises, vibrations, or change in engine indications and this did not suspect any damage to the aircraft. When I was safely clear of the runway on the taxiway I looked back to the taxiway lights to see if there was any damage and all the taxi lights appeared normal and lit. The jet landed and the controller again cleared me onto the runway and then for takeoff. I entered the runway and began my takeoff roll. At about rotation speed my first officer and myself notice a strange whistling sound from the left side of the aircraft: because the runway was wet, all engine indications were normal, aircraft acceleration and handling were normal I continued the takeoff instead of aborting. Once airborne, I maintained visual meteorological conditions and immediately requested a left pattern for runway 10R. The controller inquired about any problems and I told her that I was hearing an abnormal noise from the left engine and that I had possibly struck a taxi light trying to clear the runway. I landed without further incident and upon shutdown I noticed that 1 of 3 propeller blades on my left propeller was bent about 2 inches from the tip. Airport operations initially could not find any damaged taxi lights but after I described the exact position he said he found 1 that was broken. Please see diagram to understand the positioning of the taxi lights inside the area bounded by the runway edge lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT CARGO ACFT STRUCK TXWY LIGHT WITH PROP AND SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK OFF WITH DAMAGED PROP.

Narrative: PDX TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO, 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 10R, AND BE PREPARED FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP, JET ON 2.5 MI FINAL.' I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, BEHIND AN MD80 THAT HAD JUST LANDED, AND ROLLED UP TO THE NUMBERS. THE JET WAS UNABLE TO CLR THE RWY AT THE REQUESTED TXWY, AND REMAINED ON THE RWY LONGER THAN EXPECTED. THE TWR CTLR THEN SAID TO ME, 'CLR THE RWY.' I IMMEDIATELY TURNED 180 DEGS AND PROCEEDED DIRECTED TO THE TXWY FROM WHICH I ENTERED THE RWY, USING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING AS A GUIDE TO STAY ON THE PAVEMENT. I LOOKED UP TO SEE THE TRANSPORT JET ON FINAL THEN LOOKED BACK TO MY TAXI PATH JUST IN TIME TO SEE A TAXI LIGHT PASS BENEATH MY L NACELLE AND FELT A SMALL BUMP AS IF MY WHEEL HAD BUMPED SOMETHING. I NOTICED NO NOISES, VIBRATIONS, OR CHANGE IN ENG INDICATIONS AND THIS DID NOT SUSPECT ANY DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. WHEN I WAS SAFELY CLR OF THE RWY ON THE TXWY I LOOKED BACK TO THE TXWY LIGHTS TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE AND ALL THE TAXI LIGHTS APPEARED NORMAL AND LIT. THE JET LANDED AND THE CTLR AGAIN CLRED ME ONTO THE RWY AND THEN FOR TKOF. I ENTERED THE RWY AND BEGAN MY TKOF ROLL. AT ABOUT ROTATION SPD MY FO AND MYSELF NOTICE A STRANGE WHISTLING SOUND FROM THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT: BECAUSE THE RWY WAS WET, ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, ACFT ACCELERATION AND HANDLING WERE NORMAL I CONTINUED THE TKOF INSTEAD OF ABORTING. ONCE AIRBORNE, I MAINTAINED VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A L PATTERN FOR RWY 10R. THE CTLR INQUIRED ABOUT ANY PROBS AND I TOLD HER THAT I WAS HEARING AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE L ENG AND THAT I HAD POSSIBLY STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT TRYING TO CLR THE RWY. I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND UPON SHUTDOWN I NOTICED THAT 1 OF 3 PROP BLADES ON MY L PROP WAS BENT ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE TIP. ARPT OPS INITIALLY COULD NOT FIND ANY DAMAGED TAXI LIGHTS BUT AFTER I DESCRIBED THE EXACT POS HE SAID HE FOUND 1 THAT WAS BROKEN. PLEASE SEE DIAGRAM TO UNDERSTAND THE POSITIONING OF THE TAXI LIGHTS INSIDE THE AREA BOUNDED BY THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS.

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.