Light aircraft hits fuel pump, no clear winner.

Attributes
ACN	115041
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n40
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	115041
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After pulling aircraft to fuel pumps to top up tanks, I got into right seat for the purpose of taxiing aircraft to my hangar. On the left seat were a replacement clock and tools. I put them there prior to washing the aircraft earlier that morning. It was my intention to taxi the aircraft to the hangar and then reinstall the clock which had been replaced by the manufacturer. So as to be courteous to others, I pulled the aircraft onto the ramp west of the fuel pumps so as to allow other aircraft to pull up more conveniently on the east side of the fuel pumps. Consequently, when I got into the right seat and started the engine, I completely forgot about the position of the aircraft and taxied approximately 5' forward before the spinning propeller hit one of the fuel pumps damaging it and also bent the aircraft propeller. I have taxied the aircraft many times before from the right side, and this is the first time such an occurrence happened. Another contributing factor was the apron where the fuel pumps are located. It had been recently resurfaced and there were no markings north it. For the one second that this incident took to occur I must have been disoriented for a few seconds because of the lack of markings I had been used to seeing for the past 10 yrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT ACFT HITS FUEL PUMP, NO CLEAR WINNER.

Narrative: AFTER PULLING ACFT TO FUEL PUMPS TO TOP UP TANKS, I GOT INTO RIGHT SEAT FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAXIING ACFT TO MY HANGAR. ON THE LEFT SEAT WERE A REPLACEMENT CLOCK AND TOOLS. I PUT THEM THERE PRIOR TO WASHING THE ACFT EARLIER THAT MORNING. IT WAS MY INTENTION TO TAXI THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR AND THEN REINSTALL THE CLOCK WHICH HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. SO AS TO BE COURTEOUS TO OTHERS, I PULLED THE ACFT ONTO THE RAMP WEST OF THE FUEL PUMPS SO AS TO ALLOW OTHER ACFT TO PULL UP MORE CONVENIENTLY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE FUEL PUMPS. CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN I GOT INTO THE RIGHT SEAT AND STARTED THE ENGINE, I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE POSITION OF THE ACFT AND TAXIED APPROX 5' FORWARD BEFORE THE SPINNING PROP HIT ONE OF THE FUEL PUMPS DAMAGING IT AND ALSO BENT THE ACFT PROP. I HAVE TAXIED THE ACFT MANY TIMES BEFORE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE, AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SUCH AN OCCURRENCE HAPPENED. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE APRON WHERE THE FUEL PUMPS ARE LOCATED. IT HAD BEEN RECENTLY RESURFACED AND THERE WERE NO MARKINGS N IT. FOR THE ONE SECOND THAT THIS INCIDENT TOOK TO OCCUR I MUST HAVE BEEN DISORIENTED FOR A FEW SECONDS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF MARKINGS I HAD BEEN USED TO SEEING FOR THE PAST 10 YRS.

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.