Pilot taxied over taxiway light and propeller struck the light.

Attributes
ACN	289940
Time
Date	199411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hhr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zvx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 4570 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	289940
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Taxiing to warm/runup area, night, clear, dry, visibility unlimited. Taxiway lights were on. After holding for opposite direction traffic, proceeded west towards runup area. A bonanza was in the runup so I kept the landing light off. I observed 2 taxi lights on my left (approximately 8-12 inches off taxiway surface (high)). I slowly proceeded straight ahead and felt a sharp kick in the nose gear steering. Fearing we had hit a taxi light we stopped and shut the engine down. Inspection revealed damage to both propeller tips. We returned the aircraft to the line. While I am not positive, I don't believe that the taxi light was operational. High priority should be placed on flush mounted taxi and runway light fixtures. There was no indication of the propeller strike without shutting down the engine and visually inspecting the aircraft. Of note: the hawthorne runup area is about 1000 ft from the departure end of runway 25, requiring a back-taxi against the flow of traffic. The bonanza in the runup area was therefore nose-to-nose preventing use of the landing light.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAXIED OVER TXWY LIGHT AND PROP STRUCK THE LIGHT.

Narrative: TAXIING TO WARM/RUNUP AREA, NIGHT, CLR, DRY, VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. TXWY LIGHTS WERE ON. AFTER HOLDING FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC, PROCEEDED W TOWARDS RUNUP AREA. A BONANZA WAS IN THE RUNUP SO I KEPT THE LNDG LIGHT OFF. I OBSERVED 2 TAXI LIGHTS ON MY L (APPROX 8-12 INCHES OFF TXWY SURFACE (HIGH)). I SLOWLY PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND FELT A SHARP KICK IN THE NOSE GEAR STEERING. FEARING WE HAD HIT A TAXI LIGHT WE STOPPED AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN. INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO BOTH PROP TIPS. WE RETURNED THE ACFT TO THE LINE. WHILE I AM NOT POSITIVE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE TAXI LIGHT WAS OPERATIONAL. HIGH PRIORITY SHOULD BE PLACED ON FLUSH MOUNTED TAXI AND RWY LIGHT FIXTURES. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE PROP STRIKE WITHOUT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG AND VISUALLY INSPECTING THE ACFT. OF NOTE: THE HAWTHORNE RUNUP AREA IS ABOUT 1000 FT FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 25, REQUIRING A BACK-TAXI AGAINST THE FLOW OF TFC. THE BONANZA IN THE RUNUP AREA WAS THEREFORE NOSE-TO-NOSE PREVENTING USE OF THE LNDG LIGHT.

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.