Narrative:

While taxiing to the ramp I lined the aircraft with the taxiway sign F to the FBO. Just as I realized the aircraft was off the hardtop the aircraft slid down a slight decline (approximately 12 ft) to an open drain culvert. The propeller hit the concrete. No other damage was evident to the aircraft. The FBO employee who towed the aircraft advised another aircraft was involved in a similar event at the same place within the past yr. An ATC tower supervisor advised me to call the NTSB, which I did. Mr X advised me no report was necessary, the events did not meet their criteria for reporting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he had discussed incident with the FAA. They informed him that he was about the third aircraft to have trouble in that area. Since this incident there has been another with a caravan in which the entire nose of the aircraft went into the culvert with severe damage. FAA considers this an incident. This taxiway used to continue onward but the property was purchased by a major cargo carrier and was expanded into a large ramp with the culvert across the area leading into the ramp. The night of the incident the taxiway lights were OTS. This has been an intermittent problem with the construction activity. Reporter followed the line which is difficult to see at night and this led him into the culvert. Reporter indicated the whole problem could be eliminated by placing a grate over the culvert so nosewheels would not drop, and of course by improving the taxiway lighting. FAA will contact the airport management.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT FOLLOWS TXWY LINES WHICH LEAD INTO A CULVERT. TXWY LIGHTS WERE OTS. TXWY CONDITION NO LIGHTING CONSTRUCTION.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO THE RAMP I LINED THE ACFT WITH THE TXWY SIGN F TO THE FBO. JUST AS I REALIZED THE ACFT WAS OFF THE HARDTOP THE ACFT SLID DOWN A SLIGHT DECLINE (APPROX 12 FT) TO AN OPEN DRAIN CULVERT. THE PROP HIT THE CONCRETE. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT TO THE ACFT. THE FBO EMPLOYEE WHO TOWED THE ACFT ADVISED ANOTHER ACFT WAS INVOLVED IN A SIMILAR EVENT AT THE SAME PLACE WITHIN THE PAST YR. AN ATC TWR SUPVR ADVISED ME TO CALL THE NTSB, WHICH I DID. MR X ADVISED ME NO RPT WAS NECESSARY, THE EVENTS DID NOT MEET THEIR CRITERIA FOR RPTING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAD DISCUSSED INCIDENT WITH THE FAA. THEY INFORMED HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT THE THIRD ACFT TO HAVE TROUBLE IN THAT AREA. SINCE THIS INCIDENT THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER WITH A CARAVAN IN WHICH THE ENTIRE NOSE OF THE ACFT WENT INTO THE CULVERT WITH SEVERE DAMAGE. FAA CONSIDERS THIS AN INCIDENT. THIS TXWY USED TO CONTINUE ONWARD BUT THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED BY A MAJOR CARGO CARRIER AND WAS EXPANDED INTO A LARGE RAMP WITH THE CULVERT ACROSS THE AREA LEADING INTO THE RAMP. THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE OTS. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROB WITH THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. RPTR FOLLOWED THE LINE WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO SEE AT NIGHT AND THIS LED HIM INTO THE CULVERT. RPTR INDICATED THE WHOLE PROB COULD BE ELIMINATED BY PLACING A GRATE OVER THE CULVERT SO NOSEWHEELS WOULD NOT DROP, AND OF COURSE BY IMPROVING THE TXWY LIGHTING. FAA WILL CONTACT THE ARPT MGMNT.

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.