Narrative:

I was involved in a taxi occurrence; which resulted from the owner of the aircraft departing the taxiway during initial taxi for departure; which then resulted in the right propeller briefly contracting the taxiway. The owner (not myself) was flying left seat as the sole manipulator of the flight controls (which he had been for the previous 2 flts of the day) when the contact occurred. I was occupying the right seat. It's my belief that he thought he could taxi into the adjacent grass in order to 'turn the airplane into the wind' for the run-up. In doing so; the left main tire sunk into the mud; and before any correction could be applied; the right propeller contacted the hard-surfaced taxiway. Neither he; nor I realized the propeller had contacted the surface until shutdown revealed the damage to the tips. The run-up showed no signs of engine damage; nor was any vibration detected. Propeller cycles proved to be consistent with normal operation; and the feather check for both propellers also proved to be operational. The decision was then made to fly the airplane back to our original departure point with a possibly unairworthy aircraft. However; the flight home was perfectly normal with no indications of problems resulting from the strike. Both engines ran normal within their operating limitations for the entire flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT AND PAX ABOARD BE76 UNKNOWINGLY EXPERIENCE PROP STRIKE ON TAXI OUT. DISCOVER DAMAGE TO PROP ON ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION.

Narrative: I WAS INVOLVED IN A TAXI OCCURRENCE; WHICH RESULTED FROM THE OWNER OF THE ACFT DEPARTING THE TXWY DURING INITIAL TAXI FOR DEP; WHICH THEN RESULTED IN THE R PROP BRIEFLY CONTRACTING THE TXWY. THE OWNER (NOT MYSELF) WAS FLYING L SEAT AS THE SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE FLT CTLS (WHICH HE HAD BEEN FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 FLTS OF THE DAY) WHEN THE CONTACT OCCURRED. I WAS OCCUPYING THE R SEAT. IT'S MY BELIEF THAT HE THOUGHT HE COULD TAXI INTO THE ADJACENT GRASS IN ORDER TO 'TURN THE AIRPLANE INTO THE WIND' FOR THE RUN-UP. IN DOING SO; THE L MAIN TIRE SUNK INTO THE MUD; AND BEFORE ANY CORRECTION COULD BE APPLIED; THE R PROP CONTACTED THE HARD-SURFACED TXWY. NEITHER HE; NOR I REALIZED THE PROP HAD CONTACTED THE SURFACE UNTIL SHUTDOWN REVEALED THE DAMAGE TO THE TIPS. THE RUN-UP SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ENG DAMAGE; NOR WAS ANY VIBRATION DETECTED. PROP CYCLES PROVED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH NORMAL OP; AND THE FEATHER CHK FOR BOTH PROPS ALSO PROVED TO BE OPERATIONAL. THE DECISION WAS THEN MADE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL DEP POINT WITH A POSSIBLY UNAIRWORTHY ACFT. HOWEVER; THE FLT HOME WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL WITH NO INDICATIONS OF PROBS RESULTING FROM THE STRIKE. BOTH ENGS RAN NORMAL WITHIN THEIR OPERATING LIMITATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.