Narrative:

The pilot of an aircraft X came from the echo taxiway. The Y aircraft was parked in the northeast corner of the GA ramp at bos. The area where Y was parked was unlit. X was being taxied at a normal taxi speed (power between 800-1000 RPM). Entering the ramp, the pilot looked toward the gate and was temporarily blinded by the very bright ramp lights and also the headlights of the vans parked outside the gate. Coming out of the night sky into these lights requires a few moments of adjustment. There is a section of the ramp that is in almost total darkness. This is the section where X entered and suddenly the Y appeared. The pilot immediately applied the brakes and stopped at the tail section of Y. The left propeller of X hit the left elevator of Y. Brake marks from were, according to the pilot, about 10' in length. The pilot of X believes that the reason he did not see Y sooner was disturbed night vision due to the very bright ramp lights and because Y stood in the dark corner of the ramp. The incident occurred at am EST. The WX was VFR at night with good visibility. The pilot suggests better lighting in the northeast corner of the ramp and more reasonable ramp lights. The ramp lighting is very strange, coming from only 1 source, and sometimes makes it hard to see when approaching the gate--especially in the rain. The pilot has heard similar opinions about the lighting from other pilots who travel in and out of that particular gate at night. Another suggestion to consider is to keep parked planes out of the northeast corner. There is plenty of ramp space available for parking which is better lit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot is very familiar with the ramp area and has seen other aircraft parked in that same area, but was momentarily blinded by the light located on a pole at the edge of the ramp. Pilot is in and out of that area sometimes 2 and 3 times a night and under certain conditions the ramp light is very bothersome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING AT NIGHT INTO TRANSIENT ACFT AREA PLT OF SMT STRUCK A PARKED SMA.

Narrative: THE PLT OF AN ACFT X CAME FROM THE ECHO TXWY. THE Y ACFT WAS PARKED IN THE NE CORNER OF THE GA RAMP AT BOS. THE AREA WHERE Y WAS PARKED WAS UNLIT. X WAS BEING TAXIED AT A NORMAL TAXI SPD (PWR BTWN 800-1000 RPM). ENTERING THE RAMP, THE PLT LOOKED TOWARD THE GATE AND WAS TEMPORARILY BLINDED BY THE VERY BRIGHT RAMP LIGHTS AND ALSO THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE THE GATE. COMING OUT OF THE NIGHT SKY INTO THESE LIGHTS REQUIRES A FEW MOMENTS OF ADJUSTMENT. THERE IS A SECTION OF THE RAMP THAT IS IN ALMOST TOTAL DARKNESS. THIS IS THE SECTION WHERE X ENTERED AND SUDDENLY THE Y APPEARED. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND STOPPED AT THE TAIL SECTION OF Y. THE LEFT PROP OF X HIT THE LEFT ELEVATOR OF Y. BRAKE MARKS FROM WERE, ACCORDING TO THE PLT, ABOUT 10' IN LENGTH. THE PLT OF X BELIEVES THAT THE REASON HE DID NOT SEE Y SOONER WAS DISTURBED NIGHT VISION DUE TO THE VERY BRIGHT RAMP LIGHTS AND BECAUSE Y STOOD IN THE DARK CORNER OF THE RAMP. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT AM EST. THE WX WAS VFR AT NIGHT WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. THE PLT SUGGESTS BETTER LIGHTING IN THE NE CORNER OF THE RAMP AND MORE REASONABLE RAMP LIGHTS. THE RAMP LIGHTING IS VERY STRANGE, COMING FROM ONLY 1 SOURCE, AND SOMETIMES MAKES IT HARD TO SEE WHEN APCHING THE GATE--ESPECIALLY IN THE RAIN. THE PLT HAS HEARD SIMILAR OPINIONS ABOUT THE LIGHTING FROM OTHER PLTS WHO TRAVEL IN AND OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR GATE AT NIGHT. ANOTHER SUGGESTION TO CONSIDER IS TO KEEP PARKED PLANES OUT OF THE NE CORNER. THERE IS PLENTY OF RAMP SPACE AVAILABLE FOR PARKING WHICH IS BETTER LIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RAMP AREA AND HAS SEEN OTHER ACFT PARKED IN THAT SAME AREA, BUT WAS MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THE LIGHT LOCATED ON A POLE AT THE EDGE OF THE RAMP. PLT IS IN AND OUT OF THAT AREA SOMETIMES 2 AND 3 TIMES A NIGHT AND UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS THE RAMP LIGHT IS VERY BOTHERSOME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.