Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 21; Flight Crew Total 4360; Flight Crew Type 868
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Object; Ground Excursion Taxiway
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Airport; Human Factors
Upon completion of rollout after an uneventful landing on Runway 19 at the Northeast Regional Airport in Edenton; NC; I exited the runway on Taxiway Bravo to the left. Taxiway Bravo connects with the parallel Taxiway Delta. During my right turn from Taxiway Bravo onto Taxiway Delta I allowed myself to become distracted by ramp construction occurring along Taxiway Delta. As a result I cut the turn from Taxiway Bravo to Taxiway Delta short and clipped two non-standard solar taxi lights with my right propeller. Acknowledging that this would not have happened if the airplane was in the middle of the taxiway; where it was supposed to be; the design of these non standard solar lights is an issue for the following reasons:1) They are substantially taller than standard taxiway lights by a good 3 inches. Upon testing I determined that my prop most likely would have missed the top of a standard taxiway light. 2) Although the body of these lights is plastic; they are mounted on a round metal plate which is mounted on top of a metal pipe several inches long which then mounts into the base. It was the metal plate that did the most damage to my prop. If the plastic lights were mounted directly to a plastic pipe there would be less damage done upon striking them. 3) The body of the solar lights is formed from a gray plastic that nearly mimics the pavement color they are fastened to. In effect; they blend into the pavement background. I feel they should be painted with a 'Day-Glo' orange retro reflective paint to make them more visible.
Small aircraft pilot reports being distracted during taxi and striking a solar taxiway light with his propeller at EDE. Reporter believes that the extra height of these lights; their partial metal construction and grey color blended in with the taxiway.