Narrative:

With permission from ground I taxied to the dealer for fuel. Upon arriving at the fuel pumps, access to the area was blocked by a large twin being maneuvered by a power tow. There not being enough room to taxi around the twin, I shut down my aircraft and attached my hand towbar and pushed my aircraft to where I could fuel the plane with the 2ND pump then available. I left the towbar attached because I knew I would be finished before the twin was and I would need the bar to push aircraft out. After fueling, I walked into the FBO and paid the charges due. They were quite busy in the office, and it took considerably longer to accomplish this than usual. Walking back to the plane, the twin had been towed away and I now had a straight shot out of the fuel area and back to the hangar. Without further thought, I started the engine (with the towbar still attached) and taxied about 200 yds before a bystander saw the bar in place. At this point the propeller struck the towbar, when I braked the plane hard to avoid hitting the bystander who was by then quite adamant in having me stop!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER PUSHING SMA WITH HAND TOWBAR AND FUELING, PLT OF SMA TAXIED WITH TOWBAR ATTACHED TO NOSE WHEEL.

Narrative: WITH PERMISSION FROM GND I TAXIED TO THE DEALER FOR FUEL. UPON ARRIVING AT THE FUEL PUMPS, ACCESS TO THE AREA WAS BLOCKED BY A LARGE TWIN BEING MANEUVERED BY A POWER TOW. THERE NOT BEING ENOUGH ROOM TO TAXI AROUND THE TWIN, I SHUT DOWN MY ACFT AND ATTACHED MY HAND TOWBAR AND PUSHED MY ACFT TO WHERE I COULD FUEL THE PLANE WITH THE 2ND PUMP THEN AVAILABLE. I LEFT THE TOWBAR ATTACHED BECAUSE I KNEW I WOULD BE FINISHED BEFORE THE TWIN WAS AND I WOULD NEED THE BAR TO PUSH ACFT OUT. AFTER FUELING, I WALKED INTO THE FBO AND PAID THE CHARGES DUE. THEY WERE QUITE BUSY IN THE OFFICE, AND IT TOOK CONSIDERABLY LONGER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS THAN USUAL. WALKING BACK TO THE PLANE, THE TWIN HAD BEEN TOWED AWAY AND I NOW HAD A STRAIGHT SHOT OUT OF THE FUEL AREA AND BACK TO THE HANGAR. WITHOUT FURTHER THOUGHT, I STARTED THE ENGINE (WITH THE TOWBAR STILL ATTACHED) AND TAXIED ABOUT 200 YDS BEFORE A BYSTANDER SAW THE BAR IN PLACE. AT THIS POINT THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE TOWBAR, WHEN I BRAKED THE PLANE HARD TO AVOID HITTING THE BYSTANDER WHO WAS BY THEN QUITE ADAMANT IN HAVING ME STOP!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.