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A PA34 freight pilot, repositioning the aircraft to an uncontrolled field, inadvertently taxied off the edge of the runway, at night, in rain, after the landing lights failed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 574010 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200302 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ric.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200 Seneca I |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 105 flight time total : 2385 flight time type : 55 |
| ASRS Report | 574010 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe excursion : runway ground encounters other non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On the fourth leg of an 8 leg freight run, I had mechanical difficulties and had to return to base to change aircraft. The aircraft I got had a loose strobe light cover I found during preflight, so got delayed while fixing that. Feeling somewhat rushed at this point, I got in the aircraft and started it up, realizing too late that I really needed a cushion as the seat was way too low and slung back. This made taxiing out difficult. Upon landing, at my next airport, both landing lights decided to choose that moment to quit working. That, combined with the low seat, reduced visibility at night in rain. Made it difficult to maintain a centerline I couldn't see. I ended up running the right main off into the grass and striking the propeller on something, either a light or the runway itself. The propeller sustained damage to approximately the outer 1/4 inch of the blades. This probably would not have happened if this had been daytime, and if I had a seat cushion, and if the landing lights worked.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA34 FREIGHT PLT, REPOSITIONING THE ACFT TO AN UNCTLED FIELD, INADVERTENTLY TAXIED OFF THE EDGE OF THE RWY, AT NIGHT, IN RAIN, AFTER THE LNDG LIGHTS FAILED.
Narrative: ON THE FOURTH LEG OF AN 8 LEG FREIGHT RUN, I HAD MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES AND HAD TO RETURN TO BASE TO CHANGE ACFT. THE ACFT I GOT HAD A LOOSE STROBE LIGHT COVER I FOUND DURING PREFLT, SO GOT DELAYED WHILE FIXING THAT. FEELING SOMEWHAT RUSHED AT THIS POINT, I GOT IN THE ACFT AND STARTED IT UP, REALIZING TOO LATE THAT I REALLY NEEDED A CUSHION AS THE SEAT WAS WAY TOO LOW AND SLUNG BACK. THIS MADE TAXIING OUT DIFFICULT. UPON LNDG, AT MY NEXT ARPT, BOTH LNDG LIGHTS DECIDED TO CHOOSE THAT MOMENT TO QUIT WORKING. THAT, COMBINED WITH THE LOW SEAT, REDUCED VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IN RAIN. MADE IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A CTRLINE I COULDN'T SEE. I ENDED UP RUNNING THE R MAIN OFF INTO THE GRASS AND STRIKING THE PROP ON SOMETHING, EITHER A LIGHT OR THE RWY ITSELF. THE PROP SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO APPROX THE OUTER 1/4 INCH OF THE BLADES. THIS PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAD BEEN DAYTIME, AND IF I HAD A SEAT CUSHION, AND IF THE LNDG LIGHTS WORKED.
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.