Narrative:

Prior to beginning the GPS runway 28 approach to wayne county airport (bjj) I obtained the AWOS report and called unicom for a runway condition report as it had been snowing. Someone replied 'it's wet' (this led me to believe I would see a dark runway surface against snow covered surroundings). Also I was expecting to see runway lights as there was a NOTAM for pilot controled lighting OTS but medium intensity lights on continuously. Upon reaching the MDA I was able to see the airport from 1-1 1/2 mi out. The airport was snow covered except for 1 dark strip with patchy snow which I believed to be runway 28. There were no runway lights on. Just as I touched down I realized we were actually on the grass between runway 28 and the parallel taxiway (both were completely snow covered). As we decelerated I maneuvered the aircraft to the right onto runway 28 and in doing so apparently contacted a runway edge light with 1 blade on the left hand propeller assembly. On the taxi back to the FBO there was no indication of anything abnormal with the aircraft. After shutting down and checking the airplane I found the damage to the propeller blade. There was no other damage. There were no injuries. After speaking with airport personnel I learned that the runway lighting is actually on a 'photocell' device that turns the runway lights on only when it is dark enough. I strongly believe had the runway lights been on; the runway would have been unmistakable from the surroundings and this incident would not have occurred. Also note that this has happened before at bjj; reference ASRS report #640376. I hope this report helps in the evaluate and correction of the lighting system at bjj to make it safer for future users of the airport especially during winter operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT OF SMALL TURBOJET TRANSPORT LANDS TO THE SIDE OF THE SNOW COVERED RUNWAY AT BJJ. CITES PHOTOCELL OPERATED RUNWAY LIGHTS AS A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE GPS RWY 28 APCH TO WAYNE COUNTY ARPT (BJJ) I OBTAINED THE AWOS RPT AND CALLED UNICOM FOR A RWY CONDITION RPT AS IT HAD BEEN SNOWING. SOMEONE REPLIED 'IT'S WET' (THIS LED ME TO BELIEVE I WOULD SEE A DARK RWY SURFACE AGAINST SNOW COVERED SURROUNDINGS). ALSO I WAS EXPECTING TO SEE RWY LIGHTS AS THERE WAS A NOTAM FOR PLT CTLED LIGHTING OTS BUT MEDIUM INTENSITY LIGHTS ON CONTINUOUSLY. UPON REACHING THE MDA I WAS ABLE TO SEE THE ARPT FROM 1-1 1/2 MI OUT. THE ARPT WAS SNOW COVERED EXCEPT FOR 1 DARK STRIP WITH PATCHY SNOW WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE RWY 28. THERE WERE NO RWY LIGHTS ON. JUST AS I TOUCHED DOWN I REALIZED WE WERE ACTUALLY ON THE GRASS BTWN RWY 28 AND THE PARALLEL TXWY (BOTH WERE COMPLETELY SNOW COVERED). AS WE DECELERATED I MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO THE R ONTO RWY 28 AND IN DOING SO APPARENTLY CONTACTED A RWY EDGE LIGHT WITH 1 BLADE ON THE L HAND PROP ASSEMBLY. ON THE TAXI BACK TO THE FBO THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE ACFT. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND CHKING THE AIRPLANE I FOUND THE DAMAGE TO THE PROP BLADE. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AFTER SPEAKING WITH ARPT PERSONNEL I LEARNED THAT THE RWY LIGHTING IS ACTUALLY ON A 'PHOTOCELL' DEVICE THAT TURNS THE RWY LIGHTS ON ONLY WHEN IT IS DARK ENOUGH. I STRONGLY BELIEVE HAD THE RWY LIGHTS BEEN ON; THE RWY WOULD HAVE BEEN UNMISTAKABLE FROM THE SURROUNDINGS AND THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. ALSO NOTE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AT BJJ; REF ASRS RPT #640376. I HOPE THIS RPT HELPS IN THE EVAL AND CORRECTION OF THE LIGHTING SYS AT BJJ TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR FUTURE USERS OF THE ARPT ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.