THE RPTR PLT OF STINSON TAXIED INTO THE TAIL OF A MIDGET MUSTANG ON A TXWY AT CPM.

Narrative

THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE SIT IN WHICH MY STINSON 108-3 IMPACTED A HOME BUILT MIDGET MUSTANG ON THE S TXWY AT COMPTON ARPT. THIS OCCURRED WHILE TAXIING TO THE RUN-UP AREA OF THE ARPT ON MAY/XA/96 AT APPROX XA00. A POS SHORT OF A TXWY AT THE HANGAR WAS HELD FOR APPROX 2 MINS AFTER ENG START-UP. THE TXWY WAS CHKED FOR TFC. WITH NO TFC BEING OBSERVED; I ENTERED THE TXWY AND TRAVELED E AT A WALKING RATE. CONSIDERING THE WIDTH OF THE TXWY (10 FT FROM THE EDGE TO THE CTRLINE); THE CONFIGN OF MY PLANE (TAIL WHEEL WITH TALL MAIN GEAR); AND THE PROX OF PARKED PLANES; I PROGRESSED E MANEUVERING MY PLANE IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO MAINTAIN THE BEST FORWARD VIEW WITH THE GIVEN CONDITIONS. I UTILIZED THE L TXWY EDGE AS A VISUAL REF POINT TO MAINTAIN TXWY ALIGNMENT. AT APPROX MIDFIELD; I IMPACTED WITH AN UNSEEN OBJECT. WITH BRAKES APPLIED; THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CTLS WERE PULLED IMMEDIATELY. THE FUEL; MASTER SWITCH; AND MAGNETOS WERE TURNED OFF AND THEN THE PLANE WAS EXITED. GIVEN THE CONFIGN OF MY PLANE AND THE SIZE OF THE OTHER PLANE; I NEVER SAW THE SINGLE SEAT MIDGET MUSTANG UNTIL I EXITED THE STINSON. CONSIDERING THE DAMAGE TO MY PROP AND THE AREA OF DAMAGE ON THE L HORIZ STABILIZER; IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE MIDGET MUSTANG WAS APPROX 4 FT TO THE R OF MY CTRLINE. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES; THE PLANES WERE BOTH HANGARED AND SECURED.