TAXIING SMA COLLIDES WITH PARKED SMT.

Date: 1988-05 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-crossing-restriction-not-met

Synopsis

TAXIING SMA COLLIDES WITH PARKED SMT.

Narrative

I WAS TAXIING OUT FROM PARKING ON A RAMP AREA. PATH TO ACTIVE TXWY WAS ALONG SIDE A LINE OF PARKED ACFT. I WAS ASKED TO HOLD MY POS BY GND CTL. I DID SO. MY LEFT WING WAS CLOSE TO THE FLT LINE. WHEN CTLR CLRED ME ONCE AGAIN TO CONTINUE TAXI; I DID NOT REALIZE MY NOSE WHEEL WAS COCKED TO THE LEFT. I RELEASED THE BRAKES AND SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKED TO THE LEFT TO CLR MY LEFT WING. I DID NOT REALIZE JUST HOW cLOSE I WAS TO THE FLT LINE. I ROLLED ABOUT ONE FOOT AND MY WINGTIP TOUCHED THE RADOME OF A PARKED SMT. DAMAGE TO SMT WAS MINOR; AN 'L' SHAPED DEPRESSION (ONE INCH ON EACH SIDE) IN THE FIBERGLASS RADOME. THE 'WINGTiP CAP' ON MY SMA SUSTAINED CRACKS; THE NAV LIGHTS WERE UNTOUCHED. I SAW AND HEARD THE ACFT TOUCH AT THE SAME TIME AND STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FORCE OR MOTION AT TIME OF IMPACT. AS A PLT; I MAKE IT A POINT NEVER TO 'BE IN A HURRY'. MY FIRST INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME 'IF YOU'RE IN A HURRY; DRIVE!' I HAVE TAKEN THAT ADVICE LITERALLY. ON THIS DAY; I WAS PARTICULARLY PRESSURED. I AM AN FAA ARPT CERTIFIED SAFETY INSPECTOR. I WAS TOLD 2 DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT THAT I HAD WON A PROMOTION TO FLT STANDARDS INSPECTOR. MY ARPTS' DIVISION MGR LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FINISH MY ARPT INSPECTIONS DUTIES BEFORE I WOULD BE ALLOWED TO ACCEPT THE NEW JOB. THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK IN THE PLANE WHEN I DID THE PREFLT. IT TOOK 1 HOUR TO REPAIR. I WAS BEHIND SCHEDULE AND HAD 2 ARPTS TO VISIT THAT DAY. I FELT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO COMPLETE THE MISSION. IT OVERRODE MY GOOD JUDGEMENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.