J-3 PLT ALMOST HIT A TXWY SIGN AND A C172 WHILE ON THE GND.
Synopsis
J-3 PLT ALMOST HIT A TXWY SIGN AND A C172 WHILE ON THE GND.
Narrative
2 NEAR MISSES TODAY. THE FIRST ONE WAS AT CRQ; WHERE THEY ARE INSTALLING THOSE BEAUTIFUL TXWY SIGNS. I LOVE THOSE THINGS -- THEY HELP IMMENSELY WHEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE I AM. PALOMAR HAS NEW BLACKTOP EVERYWHERE; WITH NEAT TXWY SIGNS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME VERY NICE PAVEMENT. MOST ARPTS PUT THEM IN THE GRASS. I ALMOST TOOK THE NEWEST ONE OUT -- CLRED FOR TKOF; SO I JUST FOLLOWED THE PAVEMENT. I MISSED THE SIGN; BUT DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL I SAW IT GO UNDER THE R WING (AS I TURNED L ONTO THE RWY). I'LL TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT IT NEXT TIME -- MAYBE THE TXWY STRIPES ARE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO ALL BUT CUB DRIVERS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY. THE SIGN SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON MY L SIDE. I BET SOMEBODY WILL TAKE IT OUT SOON! THERE ARE STILL A FEW TAILDRAGGERS IN THE AREA. THE SECOND WAS AT MY HOME ARPT. CLRED DOWN THE TXWY; I WAS ON THE CTRLINE. I RAISED THE TAIL TO LOOK AHEAD; THEN DROPPED IT TO THE 3-POINT ATTITUDE. THE TXWY WAS MINE. I ENJOYED A MOMENT'S COMPLACENCY; ACCENTED BY HANGING OUT THE DOOR AND LOOKING WAY OUT FRONT; AND THEN A GLANCE OUT THE L WINDOW. I ALMOST HIT A CESSNA DOING RAMP MANEUVERS WITH HIS WING OVERHANGING THE TXWY. I DIDN'T HIT HIM; BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM UNTIL AFTER THE POTENTIAL IMPACT. MY FRONT SEAT PAX; ALSO A CUB PLT; SAID HE WAS WATCHING HIM AND HE WAS NEVER A REAL FACTOR; BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. THE POINT IS -- I DIDN'T SEE HIM! THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I START TO GET A LITTLE COMPLACENT. YOU CANNOT SEE STRAIGHT AHEAD OUT OF A CUB; AND WHILE YOU WON'T BE CATCHING MANY OTHER THINGS FROM BEHIND IN THE AIR; GND HAZARDS CAN REALLY BECOME A THREAT IN A HURRY. I'LL BE ON MY TOES FOR A WHILE; AND DELAY PASTING ANOTHER RWY LIGHT DECAL ON THE FUSELAGE. AND EVEN THOUGH HANGING OUT THE DOOR IS FUN; AND GIVES A GOOD VIEW OF THE TXWY FOR THE MOST PART; THE S-TURN REMAINS THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO TAXI.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.