C172 pilot had the propeller strike the ground when he taxied into a hole on the grass taxiway. The ...

Attributes
ACN	565965
Time
Date	200210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 2s1.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	565965
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I taxied my airplane into a hole on a grass taxiway and caused a minor propeller strike. There was no loss of RPM and I did not realize that the propeller had impacted the sod. I flew from vashon to renton airport (about 20 NM) and then back to vashon, still without realizing the strike had occurred. When I did the preflight prior to leaving vashon the second time, I discovered grass stains and nicks on the propeller tips. I then flew the airplane from vashon to tacoma (tiw) to have the propeller checked by a mechanic. He had the propeller repaired and performed the required airworthiness directive. Upon reflection, I feel that I should not have flown the airplane without having it first inspected by a mechanic. Perhaps more information could be made available about the potential seriousness of a propeller strike. I think that there are at least 2 human performance considerations: 1) failure to complete a thorough preflight when leaving renton, after the first flight leg, and 2) lack of knowledge about the serious nature of even a minor propeller strike.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT HAD THE PROP STRIKE THE GND WHEN HE TAXIED INTO A HOLE ON THE GRASS TXWY. THE PLT THEN FLEW HOME AFTER DETECTING THE DAMAGE.

Narrative: I TAXIED MY AIRPLANE INTO A HOLE ON A GRASS TXWY AND CAUSED A MINOR PROP STRIKE. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF RPM AND I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE PROP HAD IMPACTED THE SOD. I FLEW FROM VASHON TO RENTON ARPT (ABOUT 20 NM) AND THEN BACK TO VASHON, STILL WITHOUT REALIZING THE STRIKE HAD OCCURRED. WHEN I DID THE PREFLT PRIOR TO LEAVING VASHON THE SECOND TIME, I DISCOVERED GRASS STAINS AND NICKS ON THE PROP TIPS. I THEN FLEW THE AIRPLANE FROM VASHON TO TACOMA (TIW) TO HAVE THE PROP CHKED BY A MECH. HE HAD THE PROP REPAIRED AND PERFORMED THE REQUIRED AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. UPON REFLECTION, I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT HAVING IT FIRST INSPECTED BY A MECH. PERHAPS MORE INFO COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SERIOUSNESS OF A PROP STRIKE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST 2 HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: 1) FAILURE TO COMPLETE A THOROUGH PREFLT WHEN LEAVING RENTON, AFTER THE FIRST FLT LEG, AND 2) LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SERIOUS NATURE OF EVEN A MINOR PROP STRIKE.

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.

C172 pilot had the propeller strike the ground when he taxied into a hole on the grass taxiway. The pilot then flew home after detecting the damage.