Narrative:

I was returning with my wife from a flight to kerrville, where we toured an industrial factory. The WX briefing I had received indicated heavy thunderstorms in the houston area. I elected to start toward houston, with several alternate airports in mind should I need to divert. 2 en route conversations with flight watch indicated that the houston storms were still very active. I passed over san marcos and elected to continue to the vicinity of la grange/smithville. As I neared la grange I decided to abort the flight and land. I chose smithville since the sectional indicated they had fuel, but as I overflew smithville I didn't like the length or apparent condition of the runway, so I flew southeast to la grange. I executed a normal landing on runway 18 at la grange. As I taxied back (northbound) on the runway at la grange I noticed 2 aircraft parked in an area on the west side of the runway in a dirt/grassy area filled with tall weeds. I didn't like the look of that area so I continued to the north end of the runway toward the displaced threshold, looking for a more suitable area. Nearing the dt I saw a grassy area to the east of the runway that could serve as a parking area, but since rain was coming I didn't want to put it there, where I judged that I could easily sink in the soft dirt and grass and get stuck. I continued to the dt and saw that the tarmac was quite wide at that point, offering a more suitable parking area on the w-most portion, in what would be the runup area for a departure on runway 18. I judged that the small aircraft could easily be parked on the w-most portion of the dt, out of the dirt and grass, and not be any hindrance to any other aircraft that might happen into la grange. I made a left turn on the tarmac and stopped the aircraft on the w-most portion of the displaced threshold, facing in the direction of runway 18. I inched the plane forward a time or 2 to straighten out the nose wheel, and as I did so I felt the right wing contact something. It was the pole which held the wind sock. I had seen the pole, been aware of it, and thought that I had cleared it when I made my left turn. I misjudged my clearance by 12' or so. Even though the pole is actually much closer to the displaced threshold than shown in the airport diagram, I still should have been able to avoid it by giving it a wider berth. More attention to where the wings were, in relation to any obstacles, and less attention to the details of getting the aircraft properly oriented would have prevented the incident. I regret very much having caused this incident. It's a real embarrassment. I realize that my momentary lapse in vigilance is what caused it, and I will be every more vigilant in the future, especially when operating on unfamiliar airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME SMA PLT DIVERST TO T49 DUE WX, HITS OBSTRUCTIONS WITH WING WHILE PARKING.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING WITH MY WIFE FROM A FLT TO KERRVILLE, WHERE WE TOURED AN INDUSTRIAL FACTORY. THE WX BRIEFING I HAD RECEIVED INDICATED HVY TSTMS IN THE HOUSTON AREA. I ELECTED TO START TOWARD HOUSTON, WITH SEVERAL ALTERNATE ARPTS IN MIND SHOULD I NEED TO DIVERT. 2 ENRTE CONVERSATIONS WITH FLT WATCH INDICATED THAT THE HOUSTON STORMS WERE STILL VERY ACTIVE. I PASSED OVER SAN MARCOS AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE VICINITY OF LA GRANGE/SMITHVILLE. AS I NEARED LA GRANGE I DECIDED TO ABORT THE FLT AND LAND. I CHOSE SMITHVILLE SINCE THE SECTIONAL INDICATED THEY HAD FUEL, BUT AS I OVERFLEW SMITHVILLE I DIDN'T LIKE THE LENGTH OR APPARENT CONDITION OF THE RWY, SO I FLEW SE TO LA GRANGE. I EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 18 AT LA GRANGE. AS I TAXIED BACK (NBND) ON THE RWY AT LA GRANGE I NOTICED 2 ACFT PARKED IN AN AREA ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY IN A DIRT/GRASSY AREA FILLED WITH TALL WEEDS. I DIDN'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THAT AREA SO I CONTINUED TO THE N END OF THE RWY TOWARD THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, LOOKING FOR A MORE SUITABLE AREA. NEARING THE DT I SAW A GRASSY AREA TO THE E OF THE RWY THAT COULD SERVE AS A PARKING AREA, BUT SINCE RAIN WAS COMING I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT IT THERE, WHERE I JUDGED THAT I COULD EASILY SINK IN THE SOFT DIRT AND GRASS AND GET STUCK. I CONTINUED TO THE DT AND SAW THAT THE TARMAC WAS QUITE WIDE AT THAT POINT, OFFERING A MORE SUITABLE PARKING AREA ON THE W-MOST PORTION, IN WHAT WOULD BE THE RUNUP AREA FOR A DEP ON RWY 18. I JUDGED THAT THE SMA COULD EASILY BE PARKED ON THE W-MOST PORTION OF THE DT, OUT OF THE DIRT AND GRASS, AND NOT BE ANY HINDRANCE TO ANY OTHER ACFT THAT MIGHT HAPPEN INTO LA GRANGE. I MADE A LEFT TURN ON THE TARMAC AND STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE W-MOST PORTION OF THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD, FACING IN THE DIRECTION OF RWY 18. I INCHED THE PLANE FORWARD A TIME OR 2 TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE NOSE WHEEL, AND AS I DID SO I FELT THE RIGHT WING CONTACT SOMETHING. IT WAS THE POLE WHICH HELD THE WIND SOCK. I HAD SEEN THE POLE, BEEN AWARE OF IT, AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD CLRED IT WHEN I MADE MY LEFT TURN. I MISJUDGED MY CLRNC BY 12' OR SO. EVEN THOUGH THE POLE IS ACTUALLY MUCH CLOSER TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD THAN SHOWN IN THE ARPT DIAGRAM, I STILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AVOID IT BY GIVING IT A WIDER BERTH. MORE ATTN TO WHERE THE WINGS WERE, IN RELATION TO ANY OBSTACLES, AND LESS ATTN TO THE DETAILS OF GETTING THE ACFT PROPERLY ORIENTED WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INCIDENT. I REGRET VERY MUCH HAVING CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. IT'S A REAL EMBARRASSMENT. I REALIZE THAT MY MOMENTARY LAPSE IN VIGILANCE IS WHAT CAUSED IT, AND I WILL BE EVERY MORE VIGILANT IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN OPERATING ON UNFAMILIAR ARPTS.

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.