Narrative:

Advised tower that I would exit runway 16R at taxiway 13G and tower concurred. Taxied well past the first set of blue lights defining taxiway 13G and turned right, believing that I was on the taxiway and struck an unlighted sign. The strike bent the propeller and stopped the engine. Advised the tower that we struck something and that there were no injuries and that we would get out and see what happened. Airport security came immediately and we worked with them to prepare a report. The airplane was about 30 ft past the first set of blue lights defining the taxiway and about 8-10 ft short of the paved portion of the taxiway. In other words, there is about a 40 ft strip of dirt north of the paved taxiway but within the area defined by the taxiway lights, and the sign (which was not illuminated) was in the dirt area about 10 ft north of the paved taxiway. The sign was a visual aid for planes taxiing in the opposite direction and said 'no turns.' it may have been illuminated on the other side, but the back of the sign that I hit was a dark color and blended in with the ground. My landing light, which was working during preflight, was not working on landing and taxiing, which likely contributed to the problem. Suggestions: taxiway lights could better define the paved taxiway. At this intersection, they are about 40 ft north of the paved area and about 30 ft south of the paved area. Perhaps signs should be illuminated from both sides. Signs that are obvious during the day virtually disappear at night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA TAXIES OFF THE RWY AT VNY, CA, AND STRIKES A SIGN WITH THE ACFT PROP. THIS WAS A NIGHT OP AND HIS LNDG LIGHTS HAD GONE INOP.

Narrative: ADVISED TWR THAT I WOULD EXIT RWY 16R AT TXWY 13G AND TWR CONCURRED. TAXIED WELL PAST THE FIRST SET OF BLUE LIGHTS DEFINING TXWY 13G AND TURNED R, BELIEVING THAT I WAS ON THE TXWY AND STRUCK AN UNLIGHTED SIGN. THE STRIKE BENT THE PROP AND STOPPED THE ENG. ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE STRUCK SOMETHING AND THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THAT WE WOULD GET OUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. ARPT SECURITY CAME IMMEDIATELY AND WE WORKED WITH THEM TO PREPARE A RPT. THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 30 FT PAST THE FIRST SET OF BLUE LIGHTS DEFINING THE TXWY AND ABOUT 8-10 FT SHORT OF THE PAVED PORTION OF THE TXWY. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS ABOUT A 40 FT STRIP OF DIRT N OF THE PAVED TXWY BUT WITHIN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE TXWY LIGHTS, AND THE SIGN (WHICH WAS NOT ILLUMINATED) WAS IN THE DIRT AREA ABOUT 10 FT N OF THE PAVED TXWY. THE SIGN WAS A VISUAL AID FOR PLANES TAXIING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND SAID 'NO TURNS.' IT MAY HAVE BEEN ILLUMINATED ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT THE BACK OF THE SIGN THAT I HIT WAS A DARK COLOR AND BLENDED IN WITH THE GND. MY LNDG LIGHT, WHICH WAS WORKING DURING PREFLT, WAS NOT WORKING ON LNDG AND TAXIING, WHICH LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. SUGGESTIONS: TXWY LIGHTS COULD BETTER DEFINE THE PAVED TXWY. AT THIS INTXN, THEY ARE ABOUT 40 FT N OF THE PAVED AREA AND ABOUT 30 FT S OF THE PAVED AREA. PERHAPS SIGNS SHOULD BE ILLUMINATED FROM BOTH SIDES. SIGNS THAT ARE OBVIOUS DURING THE DAY VIRTUALLY DISAPPEAR AT NIGHT.

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.