Vintage biplane taildragger back taxiing on grass at small airport fly-in strikes and destroys VASI.

Attributes
ACN	151386
Time
Date	199007
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 62y
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	151386
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

My wife and I were flying to 2 harbors. Mn for a fly-in in small aircraft biplane X. Traffic was heavy as we entered the pattern for a landing on runway 24. I followed another aircraft for the landing. Due to the heavy inbound traffic aircraft were turning left off the runway and back taxiing along the grass on the south side of the runway. The acf I was flying has very limited forward visibility on the ground. My view down the grass runway side was limited due to the small aircraft biplane Y that I was following. The small aircraft Y stopped his taxi momentarily then xed the runway to the other side. The interval between landing traffic wasn't sufficient for me to cross so I continued to the approach end where there appeared to be personal directing traffic into the ramp area. A few feet later, I struck a VASI light installation. Damage to my aircraft was very slight however, the VASI was destroyed. A comment often heard when attending fly-INS is 'I hope the feds are not there.' I believe my incident might not have occurred had a FAA person been there helping the promoter with suggestions as to where to place aircraft spotters.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VINTAGE BIPLANE TAILDRAGGER BACK TAXIING ON GRASS AT SMALL ARPT FLY-IN STRIKES AND DESTROYS VASI.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I WERE FLYING TO 2 HARBORS. MN FOR A FLY-IN IN SMA BIPLANE X. TFC WAS HVY AS WE ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR A LNDG ON RWY 24. I FOLLOWED ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE LNDG. DUE TO THE HVY INBND TFC ACFT WERE TURNING L OFF THE RWY AND BACK TAXIING ALONG THE GRASS ON THE S SIDE OF THE RWY. THE ACF I WAS FLYING HAS VERY LIMITED FORWARD VISIBILITY ON THE GND. MY VIEW DOWN THE GRASS RWY SIDE WAS LIMITED DUE TO THE SMA BIPLANE Y THAT I WAS FOLLOWING. THE SMA Y STOPPED HIS TAXI MOMENTARILY THEN XED THE RWY TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE INTERVAL BTWN LNDG TFC WASN'T SUFFICIENT FOR ME TO CROSS SO I CONTINUED TO THE APCH END WHERE THERE APPEARED TO BE PERSONAL DIRECTING TFC INTO THE RAMP AREA. A FEW FEET LATER, I STRUCK A VASI LIGHT INSTALLATION. DAMAGE TO MY ACFT WAS VERY SLIGHT HOWEVER, THE VASI WAS DESTROYED. A COMMENT OFTEN HEARD WHEN ATTENDING FLY-INS IS 'I HOPE THE FEDS ARE NOT THERE.' I BELIEVE MY INCIDENT MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD A FAA PERSON BEEN THERE HELPING THE PROMOTER WITH SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHERE TO PLACE ACFT SPOTTERS.

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.