What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 10, 2026, around 0756 hrs (local), an Aviat A-1C-180 sustained minor damage to its propeller while taxiing out of runway 09 at Hermenegildo Ortiz Quinones airport (X63) in Humacao, PR. The private pilot was did not sustain injuries. The airplane was operationg under title 14 CFR part 91 as a private flight.
The flight departed antonio rivera rodriguez airport (tjvq) on an west heading direct to X63.
According to the pilot's statement, he has flown many times to X63. Sometimes, he lands on the paved runway, and other times, he lands on the grass on the north side of the field (only if landing 09), as other taildraggers often do. The typical landing distance for the husky is around 250 to 300 feet.
He successfully landed on rwy 09 and planned to taxi to the ramp/terminal. After landing, he heard other conversations on the CTAF, but it was in spanish, which he did not understand. Concerned that someone else might be landing at X63, he taxied on the grass to leave the runway clear for other traffic. His only alternative would have been to taxi on the active runway. There are no taxiways for the runway at X63, so his only choices were the grass or the active runway.
While taxiing eastbound, he was moving his head from left to right to ensure that he was maintaining a straight line, avoiding the runway lights on his right, and as he got closer to the terminal, avoiding a drainage ditch to the left. While privacy data omitted is a taildragger, he sits high in the pilot seat and can see over the nose of the aircraft.
He did not see a sign in front of him and had a prop strike while taxiing at a slow 2-3 knots speed. He mentioned that there are (were) two signs at the airport, both at a very obvious paved exit from the runway to the ramp by the terminal. The sign is bright yellow with an arrow pointing at the terminal. The yellow side is bright and very visible. The backside that he struck is dull black and does not stand out as very visible—especially when shortly after the sign is black pavement that would hide the sign even more, or when the sun is low on the horizon as it was when he arrived at X63.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 10, 2026, AROUND 0756 HRS (LOCAL), AN AVIAT A-1C-180 SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO ITS PROPELLER WHILE TAXIING OUT OF RUNWAY 09 AT HERMENEGILDO ORTIZ QUINONES AIRPORT (X63) IN HUMACAO, PR. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS DID NOT SUSTAIN INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATIONG UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PRIVATE FLIGHT.
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ANTONIO RIVERA RODRIGUEZ AIRPORT (TJVQ) ON AN WEST HEADING DIRECT TO X63.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE HAS FLOWN MANY TIMES TO X63. SOMETIMES, HE LANDS ON THE PAVED RUNWAY, AND OTHER TIMES, HE LANDS ON THE GRASS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD (ONLY IF LANDING 09), AS OTHER TAILDRAGGERS OFTEN DO. THE TYPICAL LANDING DISTANCE FOR THE HUSKY IS AROUND 250 TO 300 FEET.
HE SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON RWY 09 AND PLANNED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP/TERMINAL. AFTER LANDING, HE HEARD OTHER CONVERSATIONS ON THE CTAF, BUT IT WAS IN SPANISH, WHICH HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND. CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT BE LANDING AT X63, HE TAXIED ON THE GRASS TO LEAVE THE RUNWAY CLEAR FOR OTHER TRAFFIC. HIS ONLY ALTERNATIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TAXI ON THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THERE ARE NO TAXIWAYS FOR THE RUNWAY AT X63, SO HIS ONLY CHOICES WERE THE GRASS OR THE ACTIVE RUNWAY.
WHILE TAXIING EASTBOUND, HE WAS MOVING HIS HEAD FROM LEFT TO RIGHT TO ENSURE THAT HE WAS MAINTAINING A STRAIGHT LINE, AVOIDING THE RUNWAY LIGHTS ON HIS RIGHT, AND AS HE GOT CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL, AVOIDING A DRAINAGE DITCH TO THE LEFT. WHILE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A TAILDRAGGER, HE SITS HIGH IN THE PILOT SEAT AND CAN SEE OVER THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
HE DID NOT SEE A SIGN IN FRONT OF HIM AND HAD A PROP STRIKE WHILE TAXIING AT A SLOW 2-3 KNOTS SPEED. HE MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE (WERE) TWO SIGNS AT THE AIRPORT, BOTH AT A VERY OBVIOUS PAVED EXIT FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE RAMP BY THE TERMINAL. THE SIGN IS BRIGHT YELLOW WITH AN ARROW POINTING AT THE TERMINAL. THE YELLOW SIDE IS BRIGHT AND VERY VISIBLE. THE BACKSIDE THAT HE STRUCK IS DULL BLACK AND DOES NOT STAND OUT AS VERY VISIBLE—ESPECIALLY WHEN SHORTLY AFTER THE SIGN IS BLACK PAVEMENT THAT WOULD HIDE THE SIGN EVEN MORE, OR WHEN THE SUN IS LOW ON THE HORIZON AS IT WAS WHEN HE ARRIVED AT X63.
Other reports on N271TM · 1
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