Narrative:

Upon landing on runway 8R I turned onto the lighted parallel taxiway. I then entered the lighted taxiway leading to the terminal ramp. The aircraft dropped into an excavation that had been cut across the lighted taxiway. There were barriers that had been blown over and could not be seen from the cockpit. There was a NOTAM, but due to the large amount of construction there was confusion as to what was and was not closed. The tower was closed at this time of morning. To prevent a similar situation from happening, I feel that barriers that will not blow over should be used, and lights should be turned off on unusable txwys. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft was a BE18 and it was extensively damaged. Both propellers were bent, the landing gear was bent, a cylinder on 1 engine was damaged, etc. The airport acted promptly and the taxiway lights were turned off the next day, the barriers had flags attached. Reporter's company has lawyers discussing the costs with the construction company. Ironically the taxiway was reopened at the same time that the aircraft was finally repaired and was able to fly again. The reporter was required to take a retest with the FAA. He feels that was an incorrect action and should not have been required. He passed it quite well, but is annoyed as he feels the airport was wrong to have the taxiway lighted when it was unusable. There is still a great deal of construction going on at the airport and will be for some time in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE18 AIR TAXI CARGO ACFT TAXIES INTO DITCH DUG ACROSS TXWY.

Narrative: UPON LNDG ON RWY 8R I TURNED ONTO THE LIGHTED PARALLEL TXWY. I THEN ENTERED THE LIGHTED TXWY LEADING TO THE TERMINAL RAMP. THE ACFT DROPPED INTO AN EXCAVATION THAT HAD BEEN CUT ACROSS THE LIGHTED TXWY. THERE WERE BARRIERS THAT HAD BEEN BLOWN OVER AND COULD NOT BE SEEN FROM THE COCKPIT. THERE WAS A NOTAM, BUT DUE TO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHAT WAS AND WAS NOT CLOSED. THE TWR WAS CLOSED AT THIS TIME OF MORNING. TO PREVENT A SIMILAR SIT FROM HAPPENING, I FEEL THAT BARRIERS THAT WILL NOT BLOW OVER SHOULD BE USED, AND LIGHTS SHOULD BE TURNED OFF ON UNUSABLE TXWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT WAS A BE18 AND IT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED. BOTH PROPS WERE BENT, THE LNDG GEAR WAS BENT, A CYLINDER ON 1 ENG WAS DAMAGED, ETC. THE ARPT ACTED PROMPTLY AND THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF THE NEXT DAY, THE BARRIERS HAD FLAGS ATTACHED. RPTR'S COMPANY HAS LAWYERS DISCUSSING THE COSTS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. IRONICALLY THE TXWY WAS REOPENED AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE ACFT WAS FINALLY REPAIRED AND WAS ABLE TO FLY AGAIN. THE RPTR WAS REQUIRED TO TAKE A RETEST WITH THE FAA. HE FEELS THAT WAS AN INCORRECT ACTION AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED. HE PASSED IT QUITE WELL, BUT IS ANNOYED AS HE FEELS THE ARPT WAS WRONG TO HAVE THE TXWY LIGHTED WHEN IT WAS UNUSABLE. THERE IS STILL A GREAT DEAL OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AT THE ARPT AND WILL BE FOR SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE.

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.