PA60 pilot hit a taxiway light when he missed the cleared taxi route because of low sun angle glare.

Attributes
ACN	534469
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cps.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-60 600 Aerostar
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	534469
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical ground encounters other incursion : taxiway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was cleared to taxi to runway 3L from the terminal. The sun had just come up and it was blinding. I missed my turn onto taxiway G from taxiway a. I tried to avoid running off end of the taxiway and turn at taxiway H, but my right propeller hit a taxiway light in the turn. I asked to shut down and look at the propeller. The propeller had a chunk about the size of a half dollar missing from one of the 3 blades. I then started up and told the controller I hit a taxi light and was going to cancel the flight. I then taxied the aircraft back to terminal and parked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA60 PLT HIT A TXWY LIGHT WHEN HE MISSED THE CLRED TAXI RTE BECAUSE OF LOW SUN ANGLE GLARE.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 3L FROM THE TERMINAL. THE SUN HAD JUST COME UP AND IT WAS BLINDING. I MISSED MY TURN ONTO TXWY G FROM TXWY A. I TRIED TO AVOID RUNNING OFF END OF THE TXWY AND TURN AT TXWY H, BUT MY R PROP HIT A TXWY LIGHT IN THE TURN. I ASKED TO SHUT DOWN AND LOOK AT THE PROP. THE PROP HAD A CHUNK ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR MISSING FROM ONE OF THE 3 BLADES. I THEN STARTED UP AND TOLD THE CTLR I HIT A TAXI LIGHT AND WAS GOING TO CANCEL THE FLT. I THEN TAXIED THE ACFT BACK TO TERMINAL AND PARKED.

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.