A C441 SINGLE PLT ADMITTED RUNNING A CHKLIST WHILE TAXIING IN THE FOG AT MTN; CAUSING HIM TO MAKE A TXWY EXCURSION; RESULTING IN ACFT DAMAGE.
Synopsis
A C441 SINGLE PLT ADMITTED RUNNING A CHKLIST WHILE TAXIING IN THE FOG AT MTN; CAUSING HIM TO MAKE A TXWY EXCURSION; RESULTING IN ACFT DAMAGE.
Narrative
I HAD PLANNED AN IFR FLT THAT WAS TO DEPART MTN EARLY AM. THE MAJORITY OF THE FIELD WAS CLR; BUT WHEN I GOT TO THE APCH END OF RWY 33; THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE GND FOG. THE FOG WAS DUE TO THE RWY'S PROX TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. THE ATIS WX AT THE TIME WAS 200 FT OBSCURED AND 1/4 MI VISIBILITY. THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO RISE AND WAS MAKING VISIBILITY AT THAT END OF THE FIELD VERY BAD DUE TO GLARE ON THE WINDSCREEN. I STOPPED PRIOR TO THE HOLD SHORT TO AWAIT TKOF CLRNC. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC; I MOVED THE ACFT FORWARD. I CANNOT RECALL WHETHER THE TAXI LIGHTS WERE ON WHILE I WAS TAXIING; BUT I DID NOT NOTICE ANY LIGHTS ALONG MY PATH; SO I THOUGHT I WAS NOW ON THE RWY. AS I WAS GOING FORWARD; I WAS COMPLETING THE REMAINING CHKLIST ITEMS IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. DURING THIS TIME I WAS LOOKING DOWN. I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING ANY MORE AND LOOKED STRAIGHT DOWN FROM THE SIDE WINDOW. THE L MAIN WHEEL WAS IN THE GRASS AND THE R MAIN WAS ON THE PAVEMENT. SINCE THE ACFT HAD COME TO REST IN THE GRASS; I SECURED THE ENGS; CALLED TWR AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET PULLED OUT. THE GND WAS QUITE SOFT AND THE ACFT HAD SETTLED. AS I INSPECTED THE PLANE; I SAW OBVIOUS DAMAGE TO THE L PROP BLADES; AND THE DAMAGED TAXI LIGHT. THE LIGHT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE LENS RETAINING RING AND UP. THE BASE WAS INTACT AND IT APPEARED THAT THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE LIGHT WAS THE RING; LENS AND BULB. I COULD HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS TO THE PROP STRIKE WITH SEVERAL ACTIONS. OBVIOUSLY; WAITING FOR THE FOG TO LIFT; USING THE OTHER RWY; ENSURING TWR HAD THE LIGHTS ON; COMPLETING MY CHKLIST ITEMS PRIOR TO LEAVING THE HOLD SHORT; NOT BEING DISTR AND FOCUSING MORE WITH THE TASK AT HAND. I ALSO THINK MY PERCEPTION OF THE AMOUNT OF GND I HAD ACTUALLY COVERED CHANGED WHEN I WENT INTO THE FOG AND I HAD NOT COVERED AS MUCH GND AS I PERCEIVED. I HAVE LEARNED SOME VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THIS EVENT AND WILL NOT HESITATE TO SHARE MY MISFORTUNE WITH MY FELLOW PLTS; AND HOPEFULLY SAVE THEM FROM HAVING AN EVENT LIKE THIS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.