Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Engineer; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 149; Flight Crew Total 13844; Flight Crew Type 53
Situational Awareness
Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Airport
On a family trip from ZZZ to 46U; I landed at Alpine Airpark on Runway 13 just after my host for the weekend. My host exited the runway to the left at the end and waited in the run-up area for me. As I exited in his direction he began to taxi toward his hangar along a taxiway leading from the runway. As he moved he radioed over the airport UNICOM for me to follow him to his hangar. I did so; falling in behind by approximately 50 yards. As I exited the run-up area transitioning to the taxiway a gate rose from the ground just in front of my nose wheel causing it to collapse. Subsequently; the prop struck the taxiway causing damage to the propeller and resulting in a sudden seizing of the engine. The aircraft came to rest on top of the gate just aft of the lower antenna; causing damage to the nose gear; nose gear doors; lower antenna; and skin of the lower fuselage. There are no NOTAMS or remarks on the Alpine information page which mention a gate of any kind. The gate is not depicted or described in the taxi diagram. There are no signs or lights warning of the gate from the runway side. There is no optical or pressure sensor prevent the gate from raising as an aircraft approaches. The motion of the gate is controlled by residents of the air park via remote controls that resemble garage door openers. Also; there is no warning at all; e.g. lights; etc.; that barrier is being deployed; nor does there appear to be a delayed deployment of the barrier.
Pilot reported taxiing across an unknown gate that came up from the ground causing damage to the aircraft.