A C172 TAXIES TO TXWY AT GIF; FL. THE NOSEWHEEL MOVES INTO A HOLE AT THE EDGE OF THE TARMAC. AS THE NOSEWHEEL DROPS INTO THE HOLE; THE NOSE DROPS DOWN CAUSING THE PROP TO STRIKE THE GND. BENT PROP AND ENG DAMAGE RESULTED.

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DIRECTED BY FBO PERSONNEL TO TAXI TO A GRASS PARKING AREA. ASSURED BY THEM THAT THE AREA WAS SAFE. 2 OTHER ACFT WERE PARKING THERE AS WELL. TAXI/PARKING UNEVENTFUL. ON DEP; I WALKED MY TAXI RTE; LOOKING OVER. AS I TAXIED; THE SETTING SUN WAS IN MY EYES; DID NOT SEE POTHOLE IN THE GRASS/CEMENT TXWY JUNCTION. NOSEWHEEL FELL IN THE HOLE; PROP STRUCK PAVEMENT LEAVING SEVERAL GROOVES/INDENTATIONS IN PAVEMENT. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO PROP/ENG. ARPT SHOULD TAKE MORE CARE IN MARKING KNOWN HAZARDS OR CLRING AN AREA OF HAZARDS BEFORE DIRECTING ACFT TO PARK THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR TOOK THE PRECAUTION OF WALKING THE POTENTIAL TAXI RTE BUT NEVER SAW ANY TYPE OF HOLE THAT COULD BE AN OBSTACLE. AS HE BEGAN HIS TAXI; HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE SETTING SUN; VISIBILITY OF GND SURFACE WAS POOR. WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL WENT INTO THE HOLE; HE HEARD THE PROP STRIKE THE GND AND OTHER TERRIBLE NOISES. HE SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND INSPECTED IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. APPEARANCES SHOWED THE DAMAGE; WITH A BENT PROP AND PROP MARKS IN THE TARMAC. THE ACFT WAS TRUCKED OUT FOR REPAIR. THE HOLE HE HIT WAS 1 FT SQUARE AND ABOUT 4 INCHES DEEP. JUST ENOUGH FOR THE WHEEL TO DROP IN AND LET THE PROP STRIKE THE TARMAC. THE HOLE IS LOCATED ON THE TXWY S OF THE APCH END OF RWY 11 AND ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE SEAPLANE BASE; ON THE E SIDE OF THE TXWY.