PLT OF SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED INTO TXWY DEPRESSION AT NIGHT CAUSING PROP DAMAGE.

Narrative

UPON COMPLETING RUNUP AND RECEIVING IFR CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC (SEA APCH; 127.1); PROCEEDED TO TAXI INTO POS FOR DEP FROM RWY 19; BREMERTON NATIONAL ARPT. WHILE TAXIING; SAFETY PLT AND PLT WERE BOTH SCANNING THE ARPT APCHS FOR TFC. CTAF WAS MONITORED AND DEP ANNOUNCED. AT THE POINT OF REACHING THE RWY A R TURN TO THE RWY WAS BEGUN AT WHICH TIME THE ACFT'S R WHEEL DROPPED INTO A DEPRESSION AND THE PROP STRUCK. AT THE TIME THE PROP STRUCK; THE THROTTLE SETTING WAS APPROX 1000 FPM AND 12-15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. THE ENG DID NOT FALTER NOR STOP. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND INSPECTING; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PROP TIPS (4 INCHES) WERE BENT OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE ENG WAS RESTARTED AND THE PLANE TAXIED TO THE TIE-DOWN RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PROP STRIKE WAS AFFECTED BY A MISJUDGEMENT ON THE PART OF THE PLT AS TO THE RWY CTRLINE. IN THE DARK; THE RWY LIGHTS GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CTR HAD BEEN REACHED WHEN IN FACT IT HAD NOT. THE L WING MOUNTED TAXI LIGHT DID NOT PROPERLY ILLUMINATE THE IMMEDIATE R TURN AREA AS TO CREATE A NIGHT TIME BLIND SPOT. THE UNCTLED ARPT REQUIRED PLT ATTN TO BE DIVERTED FROM THE TXWY TO THE APCH AIRSPACE. THE TXWY/RWY INTXN DESIGN HAS A DEFINITE DEPRESSION INTO WHICH A WHEEL CAN FALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD 'CUT' THE CORNER OF THE TXWY ONTO THE END OF THE RWY CAUSING THE ACFT R LNDG GEAR TO ROLL THROUGH THE 'GUTTER' DEPRESSION. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS SINCE THE ACFT WOULD HAVE REMAINED ON THE TXWY UNTIL REACHING THE RWY. HOWEVER; IF A TAXI LIGHT/RWY LIGHT WAS MOUNTED IN THE DEPRESSION AREA; IT WOULD PROBABLY PREVENT A FUTURE OCCURRENCE.