2000-03 · NASA ASRS report 468035
PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA180 STRUCK VEHICLE STREET STOP SIGN WITH THE R WING DURING TAXI OUT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS.
I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 9. I PROCEEDED; THEN STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVES. THE CTLR SAID TO CONTINUE; PROCEED; OR SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF KEEP COMING. I DID; AND ENDED UP ON A PAVED TXWY FOR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF PLANES AND HIT A STOP SIGN WITH MY R WING. THE CTLR SAID TO KEEP MOVING AND THAT HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME WITH DIRECTIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS TOO BUSY; DIDN'T REALLY SEE ME; BUT TOLD ME TO CONTINUE. I KNOW THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND REFUSED TO MOVE; BUT AT THE POINT WHERE I WAS; THE NOSE AND PROP OF THE PLANE WERE BLOCKING THE 'X' ON THE TXWY; AND SINCE I COULD SEE THE TWR AND THE DAY WAS CLR; I DID WHAT HE SAID. LATER ON; HE MADE THE COMMENT TO THE ARPT POLICE THAT I WAS NOT UNDER HIS CTL SINCE I WAS STILL ON THE RAMP(?). I THINK THAT STANDARD WORDING SHOULD BE USED WHENEVER A PLT ASKS FOR PROGRESSIVES -- NOT SOMETHING VAGUE. THE STOP SIGN WAS BENT; A SMALL HALF-DOLLAR SIZED HOLE IN THE R WING -- NO ONE HURT OR INJURED; BUT THE POLICE CALLED IT AN ACCIDENT AND AN ACCIDENT RPT WAS FILED AS WELL AS A CALL TO THE FAA. A FERRY PERMIT IS BEING OBTAINED. I THINK THAT THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS WERE EXTREMELY VAGUE AND WONDER IF THEY ARE HAVING TO DO TOO MUCH AT GIVEN TIMES OF THE DAY. THE RUDENESS ENCOUNTERED IS A GOOD REASON SO MANY GA PLTS ARE RELUCTANT TO FLY INTO TWR CTLED ARPTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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