What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12/2/2021 a student pilot landed at Riverside airport (ral) and asked ground control to taxi back to runway 27, the active runway at the time and the runway which he landed. Once in the runup area the student pilot realized he did not have time for another trip in the traffic pattern and asked to taxi back to "cbu", his area of parking at his flight school.
Ground control notified the pilot that a Gulfstream was coming up the taxiway and asked the student pilot to taxi via a to the upper port-a-port area to wait for the Gulfstream to pass by. The student was confused and did not taxi to the proper area. Control told him to make a 180 degree turn and proceed via taxiway a to the port-a-port area. The student again taxied to the incorrect area. He then understood where he was to taxi. However, the student stated because the sun was low the dirt area in front of him and the taxiway looked the same. The student proceeded to taxi straight ahead and taxied into a dirt area and then crossed into the port-a-port area he was assigned. While taxiing off the taxiway and through the dirt the pilot hit a taxiway light with the prop.
After reaching his parking area the student noticed the prop was slightly damaged. The Riverside airport operations crew later found the broken taxiway light near the area where the student left the taxiway.
Inspectors of the ral FSDO viewed the aircraft and the damaged prop. Damage appeared to be minor.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12/2/2021 A STUDENT PILOT LANDED AT RIVERSIDE AIRPORT (RAL) AND ASKED GROUND CONTROL TO TAXI BACK TO RUNWAY 27, THE ACTIVE RUNWAY AT THE TIME AND THE RUNWAY WHICH HE LANDED. ONCE IN THE RUNUP AREA THE STUDENT PILOT REALIZED HE DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR ANOTHER TRIP IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND ASKED TO TAXI BACK TO "CBU", HIS AREA OF PARKING AT HIS FLIGHT SCHOOL.
GROUND CONTROL NOTIFIED THE PILOT THAT A GULFSTREAM WAS COMING UP THE TAXIWAY AND ASKED THE STUDENT PILOT TO TAXI VIA A TO THE UPPER PORT-A-PORT AREA TO WAIT FOR THE GULFSTREAM TO PASS BY. THE STUDENT WAS CONFUSED AND DID NOT TAXI TO THE PROPER AREA. CONTROL TOLD HIM TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN AND PROCEED VIA TAXIWAY A TO THE PORT-A-PORT AREA. THE STUDENT AGAIN TAXIED TO THE INCORRECT AREA. HE THEN UNDERSTOOD WHERE HE WAS TO TAXI. HOWEVER, THE STUDENT STATED BECAUSE THE SUN WAS LOW THE DIRT AREA IN FRONT OF HIM AND THE TAXIWAY LOOKED THE SAME. THE STUDENT PROCEEDED TO TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD AND TAXIED INTO A DIRT AREA AND THEN CROSSED INTO THE PORT-A-PORT AREA HE WAS ASSIGNED. WHILE TAXIING OFF THE TAXIWAY AND THROUGH THE DIRT THE PILOT HIT A TAXIWAY LIGHT WITH THE PROP.
AFTER REACHING HIS PARKING AREA THE STUDENT NOTICED THE PROP WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. THE RIVERSIDE AIRPORT OPERATIONS CREW LATER FOUND THE BROKEN TAXIWAY LIGHT NEAR THE AREA WHERE THE STUDENT LEFT THE TAXIWAY.
INSPECTORS OF THE RAL FSDO VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE DAMAGED PROP. DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE MINOR.