# Incident 20210320005699I: Piper PA-28-235, Waukesha, WI, March 20, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 20, 2021, 20:56 local time
- Place: Waukesha, WI
- Airport: Waukesha County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.0411° N, 88.2376° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WAUKESHA COUNTY (UES), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0411&lon=-88.2376&mi=10
- Aircraft: N15601, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N15601) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-235 (registry code 7102810, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-235) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-235
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,063 total, 181 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210320005699I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

FROM PIC'S STATEMENT: AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 10 A NON-FLYING PILOT AND I WERE CLEARED BY KUES TOWER TO TAXI TO THE FUEL RAMP VIA TAXIWAY ECHO. THE TOWER THEN ANNOUNCED IT WAS CLOSING FOR THE NIGHT AND ASKED IF ANY AIRCRAFT NEEDED ASSISTANCE. AN INCOMING PILOT STATED HE NEEDED ASSISTANCE WITH THE LIGHTS, BUT THE CONTROLLER STATED HE WAS CLOSING AT 2100. THIS UNUSUAL CONVERSATION SLIGHTLY DIVERTED MY ATTENTION. AT THIS TIME, THE CONTROLLER AND INCOMING PILOT CONTINUED THEIR CONVERSATION

ON HOW TO WORK THE LIGHTS - WHICH RESULTED IN THE LIGHTS SUDDENLY BEING CYCLED UP TO FULL BRIGHT AND THEN

DOWN AGAIN. THE COMBINED RADIO AND LIGHT CHANGES RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW WERE DISORIENTING. THE NON-FLYING PILOT SIMULTANEOUSLY ANNOUNCED SIGHTING THE FUEL TRUCKS PARKED TO THE FAR RIGHT (WEST END)

OF A LARGE HANGAR. I TURNED MY HEAD TO THE RIGHT AND LOST THE REST OF MY NIGHT VISION DUE TO THE MULTIPLE

LIGHTS ON THE BUILDING SHINING AT THE RAMP AND US AS I TRIED TO FOCUS ON THE TRUCKS. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED I HAD TURNED EARLY AND WAS ON THE GRASS AND THEN HEARD A "POP." I

CONTINUED TAXIING WITH WITH NO ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISE OR VIBRATION TO THE FUEL TRUCK AND SHUT DOWN. WHEN

INSPECTING AFTER SHUT DOWN, I FOUND A NICK IN THE PROP. I WENT TO THE TAXIWAY AND CONFIRMED THE LAST TAXI

LIGHT IN MY RIGHT-HAND TURNING RADIUS INTO THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA WAS DAMAGED.

CHAIN OF EVENTS SUMMARY: THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS:

DISTRACTING UNUSUAL RADIO TRAFFIC ABOUT RELEVANT NIGHT LIGHTS AND TOWER OPERATIONS.

SUBSEQUENT NIGHT VISION DISORIENTATION FROM THE MULTI-LEVEL CYCLING OF ALL GROUND LIGHTS - FROM

NORMAL / FULL HIGH I DIM / OFF.

3) LOSS OF NIGHT VISION LOOKING INTO THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE ILLUMINATED BUILDINGS AND RAMP RESULTING IN

AN EARLY TURN WITH NEITHER PILOT SEEING THE FINAL TAXI LIGHT.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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