A C172 taxies to taxiway at gif, fl. The nosewheel moves into a hole at the edge of the tarmac. As t...

Attributes
ACN	422224
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gif airport : gif
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 880 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	422224
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Directed by FBO personnel to taxi to a grass parking area. Assured by them that the area was safe. 2 other aircraft were parking there as well. Taxi/parking uneventful. On departure, I walked my taxi route, looking over. As I taxied, the setting sun was in my eyes, did not see pothole in the grass/cement taxiway junction. Nosewheel fell in the hole, propeller struck pavement leaving several grooves/indentations in pavement. Significant damage sustained to propeller/engine. Airport should take more care in marking known hazards or clearing an area of hazards before directing aircraft to park there. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter took the precaution of walking the potential taxi route but never saw any type of hole that could be an obstacle. As he began his taxi, he was looking into the setting sun, visibility of ground surface was poor. When the nosewheel went into the hole, he heard the propeller strike the ground and other terrible noises. He shut the aircraft down and inspected it from the outside. Appearances showed the damage, with a bent propeller and propeller marks in the tarmac. The aircraft was trucked out for repair. The hole he hit was 1 ft square and about 4 inches deep. Just enough for the wheel to drop in and let the propeller strike the tarmac. The hole is located on the taxiway south of the approach end of runway 11 and about 100 ft from the seaplane base, on the east side of the taxiway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 TAXIES TO TXWY AT GIF, FL. THE NOSEWHEEL MOVES INTO A HOLE AT THE EDGE OF THE TARMAC. AS THE NOSEWHEEL DROPS INTO THE HOLE, THE NOSE DROPS DOWN CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE GND. BENT PROP AND ENG DAMAGE RESULTED.

Narrative: DIRECTED BY FBO PERSONNEL TO TAXI TO A GRASS PARKING AREA. ASSURED BY THEM THAT THE AREA WAS SAFE. 2 OTHER ACFT WERE PARKING THERE AS WELL. TAXI/PARKING UNEVENTFUL. ON DEP, I WALKED MY TAXI RTE, LOOKING OVER. AS I TAXIED, THE SETTING SUN WAS IN MY EYES, DID NOT SEE POTHOLE IN THE GRASS/CEMENT TXWY JUNCTION. NOSEWHEEL FELL IN THE HOLE, PROP STRUCK PAVEMENT LEAVING SEVERAL GROOVES/INDENTATIONS IN PAVEMENT. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO PROP/ENG. ARPT SHOULD TAKE MORE CARE IN MARKING KNOWN HAZARDS OR CLRING AN AREA OF HAZARDS BEFORE DIRECTING ACFT TO PARK THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR TOOK THE PRECAUTION OF WALKING THE POTENTIAL TAXI RTE BUT NEVER SAW ANY TYPE OF HOLE THAT COULD BE AN OBSTACLE. AS HE BEGAN HIS TAXI, HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE SETTING SUN, VISIBILITY OF GND SURFACE WAS POOR. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL WENT INTO THE HOLE, HE HEARD THE PROP STRIKE THE GND AND OTHER TERRIBLE NOISES. HE SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND INSPECTED IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. APPEARANCES SHOWED THE DAMAGE, WITH A BENT PROP AND PROP MARKS IN THE TARMAC. THE ACFT WAS TRUCKED OUT FOR REPAIR. THE HOLE HE HIT WAS 1 FT SQUARE AND ABOUT 4 INCHES DEEP. JUST ENOUGH FOR THE WHEEL TO DROP IN AND LET THE PROP STRIKE THE TARMAC. THE HOLE IS LOCATED ON THE TXWY S OF THE APCH END OF RWY 11 AND ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE SEAPLANE BASE, ON THE E SIDE OF THE TXWY.

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.

A C172 taxies to taxiway at gif, fl. The nosewheel moves into a hole at the edge of the tarmac. As the nosewheel drops into the hole, the nose drops down causing the propeller to strike the ground. Bent propeller and engine damage resulted.