PA28 TRAINEE TAXIED INTO AN IRREGULAR AREA AND HAD PROP STRIKE ON GND.

Narrative

ON JUN/XA/99; MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING TKOFS AND LNDGS AT HDH (DILLINGHAM AIRFIELD). AFTER A SHORT FIELD LNDG; I INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO TAXI OFF THE RWY TO GET BACK TO TKOF. MY STUDENT ACCIDENTALLY TAXIED ONTO AN UNEVEN AREA. THE EVENT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY; I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER THE ACFT. REALIZING WE MAY HAVE HAD A PROP STRIKE; I TAXIED TO A CLR; PAVED; AREA; GOT OUT; INSPECTED THE PROP; AND DISCOVERED 2 SMALL NICKS AT END OF THE PROP. IN MY JUDGEMENT THE ACFT WAS STILL AIRWORTHY. AFTER INSPECTION; WE DEPARTED HDH TO HNL. UPON ARR; I QUERIED THE MAINT TECHNICIAN ABOUT THE NICKS AND HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO BUFF AND FILE IT OUT. LATER ON THAT DAY THE FLT SCHOOL MGR DECIDED TO REPLACE THE PROP. I AM WRITING THIS RPT TO SHOW HOW QUICKLY AN EVENT CAN OCCUR AND THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INSTRUCTOR BEING AWARE OF HIS STUDENT'S EVERY ACTIONS. IN RETROSPECT; DUE TO THE PROP BEING REPLACED; I QUESTION MYSELF NOW WHETHER THE PROP WAS AIRWORTHY. I FEEL NOW THAT ANY NICK OR SCRATCH WOULD REQUIRE A MECH'S OPINION BEFORE FLT.