A PA28 PLT HIT A PARKED TRUCK WHILE TAXIING.
Synopsis
A PA28 PLT HIT A PARKED TRUCK WHILE TAXIING.
Narrative
I HAD FINISHED WASHING MY ACFT AND WAS TAXIING BACK TO THE HAGAR AT AN UNCTLED FIELD. UPON REACHING THE DEP END OF THE RWY; I HELD SHORT AND CHKED FOR TFC. AFTER OBSERVING NONE; I MADE A CTAF ANNOUNCEMENT AND COMMENCED XING THE RWY; WHILE WATCHING BOTH ENDS OF THE RWY FOR ANY POTENTIAL ACFT DEPARTING OR ARRIVING. UPON CLRING THE RWY; I AGAIN MADE A CTAF ANNOUNCEMENT AND BEGAN TAXIING DOWN THE SLOPED PORTION OF THE TXWY; WHICH CURVES SHARPLY TO THE R PAST THE FIRST ROW OF HANGARS. AFTER DSNDING DOWN THE SLOPE AND EXECUTING THE TURN TO THE R; I OBSERVED A PICK-UP TRUCK PARKED ON THE GRASS TO MY L; PARALLEL WITH THE END OF THE FIRST ROW OF HANGARS. I WAS A VERY SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE VEHICLE AND REALIZED ALTHOUGH I WAS ON THE CTRLINE; MY L WING WAS GOING TO IMPACT THE TAILGATE OF THE TRUCK. WHILE BRAKING AGGRESSIVELY; I MADE AN IMMEDIATE ATTEMPT TO MANEUVER TO THE R; BUT OBSERVED THE R WING WOULD THEN STRIKE THE TERRAIN UP SLOPING TO THE RWY AND HALTED FURTHER MOVEMENT TO THE R. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP WITHIN THE GIVEN DISTANCE. MY L WING STRUCK THE REAR OF THE TRUCK; DAMAGING THE WINGTIP AND SEVERAL INCHES OF THE LEADING EDGE; AS WELL AS DENTING THE TAILGATE OF THE PICK-UP. CONVERSATION WITH THE VEHICLE'S OPERATOR REVEALED HE WAS AN ARPT EMPLOYEE PERFORMING MAINT ON THE HANGAR TOP LIGHTS. HE HAD PARKED IN AN AREA WHERE I HAD NEVER OBSERVED A VEHICLE PARKED PREVIOUSLY AND HAD PLANNED TO ONLY BE THERE SEVERAL MINS WHILE PERFORMING MAINT ON THE HANGAR LIGHTS. THE INCIDENT RESULTED FROM SEVERAL FACTORS. THE MAINT EMPLOYEE FAILED TO BARRICADE;CONE OFF; OR POS A FLAGMAN; ALONG THE TXWY BEFORE HE OBSTRUCTED CLRNC FOR ACFT TAXIING. I FAILED TO OBSERVE THE VEHICLE IN TIME TO AVOID COLLISION DUE TO THE OBSTRUCTION OF MY VIEW BY TERRAIN AND THE CURVE TO THE R. THE ACFT DID NOT SUFFER SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THEREFORE; THIS WAS NOT A REPORTABLE ACCIDENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.