SMA PROP STRIKE ON INOP TXWY LIGHT IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative

ON THE NIGHT IN QUESTION; I WAS TAXIING FROM FBO TO SW PARKING. THERE WERE NO LIGHT SIGNS DIRECTING TFC TO SW PARKING; ONLY TAXI LIGHTS AND RWY LIGHTS ALONG WITH RWY IDENTIFYING LIGHTS. THE LINE I WAS TAXIING ALONG BROKE INTO A FEW DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AS I APCHED A PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO THE UNIVERSITY AVIATION DEPT. I CONTINUED STRAIGHT ALONG MY TAXI LINE. I EVENTUALLY ENDED UP AT A DEAD END. I THEN TURNED AROUND IN A 180 DEG TURN. I HEADED BACK LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TAXI LINE THAT WOULD LEAD ME TO MY DEST. SHORTLY AFTER I TURNED AROUND; I ENCOUNTERED A TAXI LINE RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE TAXI LINE I WAS FOLLOWING. I THEN MADE A 90 DEG TURN R. I WAS NOW ESTABLISHED ON A TAXI LINE THAT WAS TAKING ME IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION I WANTED TO GO. SHORTLY AFTER MY 90 DEG TURN; I COULD SEE ANOTHER TAXI LINE THAT WAS GOING TO MERGE WITH MY TAXI LINE FROM THE L. I COULD ALSO IDENTIFY BLUE TAXI LIGHTS OUTLINING THE TXWY. AS I APCHED THE OTHER TXWY; MY TAXI LINE DISAPPEARED AND MY PROP STRUCK A TAXI LIGHT THAT WAS NOT LIT. I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THE DISTANCE BTWN THE TAXI LIGHT AND THE END OF THE LINE I WAS FOLLOWING WAS APPROX 5 TO 10 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: POOR LIGHTING; INADEQUATE TAXI LINES. I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD EXIST BETTER LIGHTING FOR ACFT PARKING LOTS AND TAXI LIGHTS. SJC GND CREW SHOULD KEEP ON TOP OF LIGHTS THAT ARE NOT IN PROPER WORKING ORDER.