What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot's statement: on Wednesday evening, August 16, 2006, I privacy data omitted (pilot-in-command) filed an IFR flight plan telephonically with hawthorne flight service fss for a night IFR flight from San Luis Obispo (ksbp) to sacramento mather (kmhr). The ksbp tower closed at 2000 local time. I'd completed a full preflight inspection of the aircraft prior to engine start, then completed obtaining my IFR clearance from santa barbara departure, frequency 127.72. Departure control assigned runway 29 as the departure runway. I proceeded to taxi to runway 29 via taxiway alpha. The incident occurred at 2050 hours. I'd completed my run-up in the appropriate run-up area at the end of alpha, advising santa barbara departure that I was ready for IFR release. Departure control advised me to hold short for landing traffic on runway 11, and to expect a 2-3 minute delay. With run-up complete, I taxied up to the hold short line awaiting clearance for takeoff. I had not yet switched to the catf on 124.0. While awaiting IFR release I continued to review the assigned crepe three depature procedure; then looked up to see an america west regional jet holding at the end on runway 11, realizing this was the landing traffic and I was blocking their exit onto taxiway alpha, restricting their ability to clear the active runway. I decided to make a 180 degree turn to the right to taxi back out of the way of the america west flight allowing them to exit the active runway. Due to darkness I didn't have good 90 degree lateral visibility, but believed that I had sufficient taxiway width to complete the right-hand 180 degree turn. This was not the case! I immediately found that I had left the taxiway and was making a turn in the dirt. A sudden vibration began, which I immediately knew would prevent continuing the flight. I contacted departure control advising them I was aborting the flight and to cancel my flight plan. I taxied back to the ramp. Upon inspection, the damage to the propeller was evident that I had struck either a taxiway sign or taxiway light. I tied the aircraft down to wait until morning. The next morning, August 17, 2006, I filed telephonic reports of the incident with, (I) the FAA regional duty officer privacy data omitted (ii) the FAA tower privacy data omitted (iii) ksbp airport operations privacy data omitted and (iv) s an jose FAA FSDO privacy data omitted . Subsequent to these actions I contacted my insurance carrier and the repair shops at ksbp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT'S STATEMENT: ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16, 2006, I ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (PILOT-IN-COMMAND) FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TELEPHONICALLY WITH HAWTHORNE FLIGHT SERVICE FSS FOR A NIGHT IFR FLIGHT FROM SAN LUIS OBISPO (KSBP) TO SACRAMENTO MATHER (KMHR). THE KSBP TOWER CLOSED AT 2000 LOCAL TIME. I'D COMPLETED A FULL PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO ENGINE START, THEN COMPLETED OBTAINING MY IFR CLEARANCE FROM SANTA BARBARA DEPARTURE, FREQUENCY 127.72. DEPARTURE CONTROL ASSIGNED RUNWAY 29 AS THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 29 VIA TAXIWAY ALPHA. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 2050 HOURS. I'D COMPLETED MY RUN-UP IN THE APPROPRIATE RUN-UP AREA AT THE END OF ALPHA, ADVISING SANTA BARBARA DEPARTURE THAT I WAS READY FOR IFR RELEASE. DEPARTURE CONTROL ADVISED ME TO HOLD SHORT FOR LANDING TRAFFIC ON RUNWAY 11, AND TO EXPECT A 2-3 MINUTE DELAY. WITH RUN-UP COMPLETE, I TAXIED UP TO THE HOLD SHORT LINE AWAITING CLEARANCE FOR TAKEOFF. I HAD NOT YET SWITCHED TO THE CATF ON 124.0. WHILE AWAITING IFR RELEASE I CONTINUED TO REVIEW THE ASSIGNED CREPE THREE DEPATURE PROCEDURE; THEN LOOKED UP TO SEE AN AMERICA WEST REGIONAL JET HOLDING AT THE END ON RUNWAY 11, REALIZING THIS WAS THE LANDING TRAFFIC AND I WAS BLOCKING THEIR EXIT ONTO TAXIWAY ALPHA, RESTRICTING THEIR ABILITY TO CLEAR THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. I DECIDED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT TO TAXI BACK OUT OF THE WAY OF THE AMERICA WEST FLIGHT ALLOWING THEM TO EXIT THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. DUE TO DARKNESS I DIDN'T HAVE GOOD 90 DEGREE LATERAL VISIBILITY, BUT BELIEVED THAT I HAD SUFFICIENT TAXIWAY WIDTH TO COMPLETE THE RIGHT-HAND 180 DEGREE TURN. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE! I IMMEDIATELY FOUND THAT I HAD LEFT THE TAXIWAY AND WAS MAKING A TURN IN THE DIRT. A SUDDEN VIBRATION BEGAN, WHICH I IMMEDIATELY KNEW WOULD PREVENT CONTINUING THE FLIGHT. I CONTACTED DEPARTURE CONTROL ADVISING THEM I WAS ABORTING THE FLIGHT AND TO CANCEL MY FLIGHT PLAN. I TAXIED BACK TO THE RAMP. UPON INSPECTION, THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER WAS EVIDENT THAT I HAD STRUCK EITHER A TAXIWAY SIGN OR TAXIWAY LIGHT. I TIED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING. THE NEXT MORNING, AUGUST 17, 2006, I FILED TELEPHONIC REPORTS OF THE INCIDENT WITH, (I) THE FAA REGIONAL DUTY OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (II) THE FAA TOWER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (III) KSBP AIRPORT OPERATIONS ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ AND (IV) S AN JOSE FAA FSDO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ . SUBSEQUENT TO THESE ACTIONS I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE CARRIER AND THE REPAIR SHOPS AT KSBP.
Other reports on N4361H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.