What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that while taxiing from parking ramp to run up area for eventual take-off, he [the rated pilot] became distracted by non-rated right seat aerial observer announcing incoming helicopter traffic. The third time that the observer announced the traffic, the rated pilot looked up towards the pattern and away from the taxiway. The commercially rated pilot allowed the aircraft to depart the taxiway onto the center sod, and into the drainage culvert. Commercially rated pilot stated that he would continue taxxing through the grass back to the taxiway but did not see the concreat drainage pipe at the end of the drainage run. Propeller struck concreat culvert, sustaining damage to all three blades. The front landing gear struck culvert, bringing aircraft to sudden stop and damaging internal stringers and firewall. Aircraft shut down with no further damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE TAXIING FROM PARKING RAMP TO RUN UP AREA FOR EVENTUAL TAKE-OFF, HE [THE RATED PILOT] BECAME DISTRACTED BY NON-RATED RIGHT SEAT AERIAL OBSERVER ANNOUNCING INCOMING HELICOPTER TRAFFIC. THE THIRD TIME THAT THE OBSERVER ANNOUNCED THE TRAFFIC, THE RATED PILOT LOOKED UP TOWARDS THE PATTERN AND AWAY FROM THE TAXIWAY. THE COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE TAXIWAY ONTO THE CENTER SOD, AND INTO THE DRAINAGE CULVERT. COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT STATED THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TAXXING THROUGH THE GRASS BACK TO THE TAXIWAY BUT DID NOT SEE THE CONCREAT DRAINAGE PIPE AT THE END OF THE DRAINAGE RUN. PROPELLER STRUCK CONCREAT CULVERT, SUSTAINING DAMAGE TO ALL THREE BLADES. THE FRONT LANDING GEAR STRUCK CULVERT, BRINGING AIRCRAFT TO SUDDEN STOP AND DAMAGING INTERNAL STRINGERS AND FIREWALL. AIRCRAFT SHUT DOWN WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.