Narrative:

I had received takeoff clearance from cedar rapids, ia, tower for an FAA part 135 cargo flight and proceeded south on taxiway B2 to runway 9. While aligning the piper aztec for takeoff, I was making one final engine instruments check prior to the actual takeoff and while momentarily looking down at the instruments, taxied the aircraft too far to the south side of the runway where the right engine propeller struck a runway edge light. Both blades of the right engine propeller incurred damage as well as the nose section of the fuselage from the runway light debris in the form of scratches, dents, several small holes and one larger 3- inch hole. I believe the combination of momentary 'head- down' time to look at the engine instruments, the absence of a yellow centerline on the taxiway that leads to the centerline of the runway and that it took place at night, contributed to this occurrence. Another contributing factor, is the view from the pilot's seat (left seat) in this particular aircraft looking right towards the ground. The instrument panel is quite high into the field of vision through the windscreen and the right engine nacelle protruding forward from the wing also limits the right-looking, downward visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A CARGO PAZT ACFT TAXIING AT NIGHT HAS PROP DAMAGE FROM CONTACTING A RWY LIGHT WHILE CTRING ACFT ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I HAD RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, TWR FOR AN FAA PART 135 CARGO FLT AND PROCEEDED S ON TXWY B2 TO RWY 9. WHILE ALIGNING THE PIPER AZTEC FOR TKOF, I WAS MAKING ONE FINAL ENG INSTS CHK PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL TKOF AND WHILE MOMENTARILY LOOKING DOWN AT THE INSTS, TAXIED THE ACFT TOO FAR TO THE S SIDE OF THE RWY WHERE THE R ENG PROP STRUCK A RWY EDGE LIGHT. BOTH BLADES OF THE R ENG PROP INCURRED DAMAGE AS WELL AS THE NOSE SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE FROM THE RWY LIGHT DEBRIS IN THE FORM OF SCRATCHES, DENTS, SEVERAL SMALL HOLES AND ONE LARGER 3- INCH HOLE. I BELIEVE THE COMBINATION OF MOMENTARY 'HEAD- DOWN' TIME TO LOOK AT THE ENG INSTS, THE ABSENCE OF A YELLOW CTRLINE ON THE TXWY THAT LEADS TO THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AND THAT IT TOOK PLACE AT NIGHT, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, IS THE VIEW FROM THE PLT'S SEAT (L SEAT) IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT LOOKING RIGHT TOWARDS THE GND. THE INST PANEL IS QUITE HIGH INTO THE FIELD OF VISION THROUGH THE WINDSCREEN AND THE R ENG NACELLE PROTRUDING FORWARD FROM THE WING ALSO LIMITS THE RIGHT-LOOKING, DOWNWARD VISIBILITY.

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.