Narrative:

Back taxiing aircraft for departure. Upon reaching the end, attempted to swing aircraft 180 degrees for takeoff position. 1/2 way through the turn nosewheel falls into a 'blind hole' causing nosewheel and strut to collapse. Difficult to see due to grass being 8-12 inches high. Propellers and engines required overhaul due to stoppage! Prevention: prior to taxiing, personally should have walked or driven down the strip to assess the conditions of the field. Field should have been mowed (field mowed on a more frequent basis). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is a private airport located about 15 mi north of tix. He had flown in to drop off a pilot picking up a plane which had been painted. Reporter's aircraft was a C421 and this airport is not really designed for such an aircraft. The problem was that there is a sign indicating 'turn around point' and that is where he tried to turn around after back taxiing. This is a one way airport, takeoff and land opposite direction. Reporter states the dirt is like 'walking in an ashtray.' 4 witnesses saw the event and assisted reporter. Since the incident the airport people have widened the area with packed dirt so that an aircraft this size can really turn around. The runway itself is only 30 ft wide. What really irks the reporter is that his boss had flown in 2 weeks prior to this event and had gotten stuck twice while trying to depart. The boss said nothing to reporter about the runway condition. He probably could have avoided the insurance claim had he informed reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 PLT HAS NOSEWHEEL GO OFF RWY INTO VERY SOFT DIRT WHEN ATTEMPTING A TURN AROUND FOR TKOF.

Narrative: BACK TAXIING ACFT FOR DEP. UPON REACHING THE END, ATTEMPTED TO SWING ACFT 180 DEGS FOR TKOF POS. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN NOSEWHEEL FALLS INTO A 'BLIND HOLE' CAUSING NOSEWHEEL AND STRUT TO COLLAPSE. DIFFICULT TO SEE DUE TO GRASS BEING 8-12 INCHES HIGH. PROPS AND ENGS REQUIRED OVERHAUL DUE TO STOPPAGE! PREVENTION: PRIOR TO TAXIING, PERSONALLY SHOULD HAVE WALKED OR DRIVEN DOWN THE STRIP TO ASSESS THE CONDITIONS OF THE FIELD. FIELD SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOWED (FIELD MOWED ON A MORE FREQUENT BASIS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS A PVT ARPT LOCATED ABOUT 15 MI N OF TIX. HE HAD FLOWN IN TO DROP OFF A PLT PICKING UP A PLANE WHICH HAD BEEN PAINTED. RPTR'S ACFT WAS A C421 AND THIS ARPT IS NOT REALLY DESIGNED FOR SUCH AN ACFT. THE PROB WAS THAT THERE IS A SIGN INDICATING 'TURN AROUND POINT' AND THAT IS WHERE HE TRIED TO TURN AROUND AFTER BACK TAXIING. THIS IS A ONE WAY ARPT, TKOF AND LAND OPPOSITE DIRECTION. RPTR STATES THE DIRT IS LIKE 'WALKING IN AN ASHTRAY.' 4 WITNESSES SAW THE EVENT AND ASSISTED RPTR. SINCE THE INCIDENT THE ARPT PEOPLE HAVE WIDENED THE AREA WITH PACKED DIRT SO THAT AN ACFT THIS SIZE CAN REALLY TURN AROUND. THE RWY ITSELF IS ONLY 30 FT WIDE. WHAT REALLY IRKS THE RPTR IS THAT HIS BOSS HAD FLOWN IN 2 WKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT AND HAD GOTTEN STUCK TWICE WHILE TRYING TO DEPART. THE BOSS SAID NOTHING TO RPTR ABOUT THE RWY CONDITION. HE PROBABLY COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE INSURANCE CLAIM HAD HE INFORMED RPTR.

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.