A PVT PLT; TAXIING A C172 AT MDT; STRUCK LIGHTS ON TXWY D.

Narrative

CEILING AT HOME BASED CXY WAS BELOW ILS MINIMUM AND I DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE MDT. A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS MADE VIA ILS RWY 13. WHILE CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY AT TXWY D; I STRUCK 1 OR 2 CLOSELY SPACED LIGHTS AT THE CURVED ENTRY TO THE TXWY; DAMAGING THE PROP OF MY AIRPLANE (AND THE LIGHTS). I INFORMED THE TWR. THE LIGHTS ARE MOUNTED ON STEEL POSTS AND LOCATED ON THE PAVED AREA OF THE TXWY ENTRANCE; PERHAPS 6 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT. I BELIEVE THE FLASHING APCH LIGHTS AND THE WHITE LIGHTS MARKING THE CTRLINE OF THIS RWY CAUSE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NIGHT BLINDNESS AND A PLT; NOT USED TO THIS LIGHTING; MAY NOT SEE THESE LESS OBVIOUS LIGHTS AS IN MY CASE. ALSO; I AM MORE FAMILIAR WITH TURNING ONTO TXWYS WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE LOCATED OFF THE PAVEMENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE AT THIS ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CEILING HAD BEEN 600 FT OVCST AND THAT THE TIME OF DAY WAS DUSK. FURTHER; HE RECALLED THAT THERE WERE BRIGHT LIGHTS AT THE ARPT AND HE SUGGESTED THAT NIGHT BLINDNESS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THOUGH HIS ACFT DAMAGED THE TXWY LIGHTS; AND HE CONFERRED WITH ARPT PERSONNEL ABOUT THE INCIDENT; NO ONE HAS CONTACTED HIM FURTHER REGARDING THIS EVENT. HIS ACFT WAS IN MAINT AT MDT DUE TO THE DAMAGE WHICH REQUIRED THE PROP AND A MAINT GEAR FAIRING TO BE REPLACED. HE PICKED UP HIS ACFT LAST WK AND WAS TOLD BY THE MECH THAT ANOTHER PLT STRUCK THE SAME LIGHTS TWICE IN 2 WKS.