PLT STRUCK LIGHT POLE ON RAMP WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING; CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WING LEADING EDGE.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG ON RWY 21; I PROCEEDED ON TO ALPHA TXWY TOWARDS THE RAMP. I SAW 2 ACFT PARKED NEXT TO A CHAIN- LINK FENCE; AND WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT WAS WHERE THE FBO WAS LOCATED. AS I NEARED THE 2 ACFT I ALSO NOTICED SEVERAL TIE-DOWN SLOTS ON THE RAMP ALONG WITH A PIECE OF ASPHALT THAT WENT BACK FARTHER THAN WHERE THE 2 ACFT WERE PARKED. AS I TURNED AROUND IN THAT AREA; PLANNING ON PARKING NEXT TO THE 2 ACFT; I WAS ABRUPTLY STOPPED. THINKING I HIT SOMETHING IN FRONT OF ME; I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. I THEN NOTICED THE L WING AND THE LIGHT POLE THAT I HAD HIT. THE LIGHT WAS NOT LIT. THERE ARE SEVERAL LIGHT POLES THAT WERE LIT ALONG THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE; HOWEVER; THE SINGLE LIGHT POST THAT I STRUCK WAS IN THE CTR OF THE ASPHALT AREA; WITHOUT ANYTHING SURROUNDING IT. I THEN GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND WALKED TOWARDS THE BUILDING THAT I THOUGHT WAS THE FBO. AFTER WALKING AROUND IT I REALIZED THAT THE FBO WAS FARTHER DOWN. WHEN I WALKED TOWARDS THE FBO THERE WAS A LINE-MAN ALREADY AT THE ACFT AND HE HAD WITNESSED THE WHOLE THING. AFTER WALKING INTO THE FBO I CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND CALLED THE ACTING SUPVR OF FLYING. FROM THE TIME I HAD APCHED DULUTH TO THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IT HAD BEEN DARK. IT WAS BLACK OUT.