Narrative:

Mishap occurred as I was returning to my parking spot for maintenance (removal of heavy condensation which was rapidly forming on the forward windshield). It was at this time that I collided with a parked aircraft in unlit portion of the ramp. During preflight, particular attention was made to insure the forward windshield was thoroughly cleaned/cleared of all restrictions to visibility. Heavy dew was present, and this task required 4 or 5 paper towels to insure all moisture was removed. I had taxied approximately 200-250' when the inside of the windshield started fogging over and heavy condensation started rapidly accumulating on the outside, thereby degrading my forward visibility (dew point spread was zero as reported by ATIS, temperature was +75 F, with humidity near 100% and heavy dew forming). Direction of taxi was away from the FBO's lighted area into an area where there is no lighting other than blue taxi lights. The sky condition was such that there was no illumination from moonlight or stars. To additionally complicate matters, the direction of taxi was away from the main operations of the airport toward a dark area (no backlight illumination of objects along the route of taxi). Lastly, the ramp area has been resurfaced with black asphalt and there are no taxi lines to provide clearance from obstacles along the route of taxi. Impact velocity at the time of the collision 2 to 4 mph (normal walking speed), as I was in the process of bringing the aircraft to a complete stop before proceeding any further until I had ascertained if I was clear of all obstacles. No damage was sustained by the aircraft I was operating. However, my right propeller did substantial sheet metal damage to the parked aircraft's horizontal elevator assembly. I cancelled my clearance prior to its being issued when I informed ground control that I was in the process of returning to my parking spot to rectify the problem concerning the windshield. Correction actions: 1) the owner of the FBO is installing white reflective taxi lines to assist pilots and maintenance personnel in maintaining adequate clearance from all obstacles along this route of taxi. 2) maintenance personnel have been issued standard operating procedures which require windshields to be cleaned of other visibility inhibitors (ie, dirt, greece, bugs, etc) at regular intervals. 3) several aircraft parked in the mishap area have been moved to reduce the congestion in the mishap area. 4) pilots and maintenance personnel who utilize the FBO have been made aware of the circumstances of this mishap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA RETURNING TO PARKING DUE TO FOGGING OF WINDSHIELD. VISIBILITY POOR WITH NO LIGHTS OR TAXI LINES. HIT PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: MISHAP OCCURRED AS I WAS RETURNING TO MY PARKING SPOT FOR MAINT (REMOVAL OF HEAVY CONDENSATION WHICH WAS RAPIDLY FORMING ON THE FORWARD WINDSHIELD). IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I COLLIDED WITH A PARKED ACFT IN UNLIT PORTION OF THE RAMP. DURING PREFLT, PARTICULAR ATTN WAS MADE TO INSURE THE FORWARD WINDSHIELD WAS THOROUGHLY CLEANED/CLRED OF ALL RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY. HEAVY DEW WAS PRESENT, AND THIS TASK REQUIRED 4 OR 5 PAPER TOWELS TO INSURE ALL MOISTURE WAS REMOVED. I HAD TAXIED APPROX 200-250' WHEN THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD STARTED FOGGING OVER AND HEAVY CONDENSATION STARTED RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING ON THE OUTSIDE, THEREBY DEGRADING MY FORWARD VISIBILITY (DEW POINT SPREAD WAS ZERO AS REPORTED BY ATIS, TEMPERATURE WAS +75 F, WITH HUMIDITY NEAR 100% AND HEAVY DEW FORMING). DIRECTION OF TAXI WAS AWAY FROM THE FBO'S LIGHTED AREA INTO AN AREA WHERE THERE IS NO LIGHTING OTHER THAN BLUE TAXI LIGHTS. THE SKY CONDITION WAS SUCH THAT THERE WAS NO ILLUMINATION FROM MOONLIGHT OR STARS. TO ADDITIONALLY COMPLICATE MATTERS, THE DIRECTION OF TAXI WAS AWAY FROM THE MAIN OPERATIONS OF THE ARPT TOWARD A DARK AREA (NO BACKLIGHT ILLUMINATION OF OBJECTS ALONG THE ROUTE OF TAXI). LASTLY, THE RAMP AREA HAS BEEN RESURFACED WITH BLACK ASPHALT AND THERE ARE NO TAXI LINES TO PROVIDE CLRNC FROM OBSTACLES ALONG THE ROUTE OF TAXI. IMPACT VELOCITY AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION 2 TO 4 MPH (NORMAL WALKING SPEED), AS I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BRINGING THE ACFT TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER UNTIL I HAD ASCERTAINED IF I WAS CLEAR OF ALL OBSTACLES. NO DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE ACFT I WAS OPERATING. HOWEVER, MY RIGHT PROP DID SUBSTANTIAL SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE PARKED ACFT'S HORIZONTAL ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY. I CANCELLED MY CLRNC PRIOR TO ITS BEING ISSUED WHEN I INFORMED GND CTL THAT I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING TO MY PARKING SPOT TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM CONCERNING THE WINDSHIELD. CORRECTION ACTIONS: 1) THE OWNER OF THE FBO IS INSTALLING WHITE REFLECTIVE TAXI LINES TO ASSIST PLTS AND MAINT PERSONNEL IN MAINTAINING ADEQUATE CLRNC FROM ALL OBSTACLES ALONG THIS ROUTE OF TAXI. 2) MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ISSUED STANDARD OPERATING PROCS WHICH REQUIRE WINDSHIELDS TO BE CLEANED OF OTHER VISIBILITY INHIBITORS (IE, DIRT, GREECE, BUGS, ETC) AT REGULAR INTERVALS. 3) SEVERAL ACFT PARKED IN THE MISHAP AREA HAVE BEEN MOVED TO REDUCE THE CONGESTION IN THE MISHAP AREA. 4) PLTS AND MAINT PERSONNEL WHO UTILIZE THE FBO HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS MISHAP.

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.