PLT OF PA32 DEPARTS THE TXWY WHILE TAXIING FOR NIGHTTIME DEP DURING RAIN AND REDUCED VISIBILITY WITH FOG.

Narrative

THE PLT OF THE ACFT HAD JUST RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS TAXIING OUT FOR DEP WHEN A TURN WAS MISSED ON THE TAXI RTE TO THE DEP RWY. THE ACFT LEFT THE PAVED TXWY; ENTERED THE GRASS; AND SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK AN ABANDONED CISTERN; DAMAGING THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR AND INCURRING A PROP STRIKE. ONE PROP BLADE TIP AS CURLED; BUT THERE WAS NO SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO PEOPLE ON ARPT PROPERTY. WX AT THE TIME WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. LIGHT FALLING RAIN AND ITS ASSOCIATED PRECIP-INDUCED FOG LIMITED VISIBILITY MARKEDLY. NIGHTTIME HRS FURTHER COMPLICATED MATTERS. TXWY PAVEMENT MARKINGS WERE VERY LIGHT (IN COLOR DENSITY); AND THE COMBINATION OF WX CONDITIONS; PAVEMENT MARKINGS; AND LIGHT CONDITIONS PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN THIS INCIDENT. THE PLT HAD USED THIS ARPT BEFORE; BUT NEVER AT NIGHT. THE TAXI RTES TO THE RWY (EITHER END) HAVE A NUMBER OF TURNS TO THEM. A PART OF THE PROB IS THAT THERE IS A BREAK IN THE CONTINUITY OF THE PARALLEL TXWY; TRAVEL THROUGH THE RAMP AREA IS REQUIRED TO GET FROM ONE END OF THE RWY TO THE OTHER. THERE IS NOT ANY STRAIGHT PATH TO ENTER THE PARALLEL TXWY FROM THE RAMP. IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS; THIS PRESENTS A HAZARD. HUMAN FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT INCLUDE NIGHT VISION NEVER BEING AS GOOD AS DAYLIGHT VISION. THIS; COUPLED WITH WX CONSIDERATIONS WAS SIGNIFICANT. HUNGER MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART; AS THE PLT HAD NOT YET EATEN AN EVENING MEAL. A POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WX WAS DETERIORATING; AND THE DESIRE TO GET GOING BEFORE THINGS WORSENED; COULD BE CONTRIBUTORY. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS RECOMMENDED: 1) REPAINT TXWY MARKINGS WITH HIGH-QUALITY REFLECTIVE PAINT. 2) CONSTRUCT A COMPLETE PARALLEL TXWY TO ELIMINATE THE BREAK IN PAVEMENT; AND THEN PROVIDE A DIRECT PATH TO IT FROM THE RAMP. 3) THE PLT SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN OPERATING IN LIMITED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.