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Snowy low visibility night. Pilot reporter on first solo flight for atx-frt started taxi from ramp and hit unlighted parked APU unit. Shut down engines, cancelled flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 172175 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199102 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bos |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1235 flight time type : 35 |
| ASRS Report | 172175 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
Already had picked up clearance, contacted 'gate', and got a taxi clearance from ground. Started taxiing real slow (throttle at idle). Made a slight right turn towards taxiway. Out of the corner of my eye I suddenly saw the APU sitting ahead and to my right. I immediately tried to stop but I was too late and slid on the slippery snow covered ground. (About 1 1/2'). The spinner and the propeller (right side) hit the APU and I shut both engines down. Contacted ground to cancel my clearance. Contributing factors. Low visibility. Snow and fog reduced visibility to 2 1/2 mi reported by the tower. The white APU didn't contrast with the white snow covered ground. Stress: first night alone on the run. Knowledge that there were schedules to be used. APU was not parked in proper place, was unlighted and unmarked. The fact that it was my first night didn't distract me from doing a walk around and at that time should have noticed that the APU would be in my path if I would make a turn to the right. During taxiing out I should have looked around better especially with the low visibility conditions as they were. I had cleared off my windshield before getting in the airplane. Apparently the APU never caught my eye.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SNOWY LOW VISIBILITY NIGHT. PLT REPORTER ON FIRST SOLO FLT FOR ATX-FRT STARTED TAXI FROM RAMP AND HIT UNLIGHTED PARKED APU UNIT. SHUT DOWN ENGINES, CANCELLED FLT.
Narrative: ALREADY HAD PICKED UP CLRNC, CONTACTED 'GATE', AND GOT A TAXI CLRNC FROM GND. STARTED TAXIING REAL SLOW (THROTTLE AT IDLE). MADE A SLIGHT R TURN TOWARDS TXWY. OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I SUDDENLY SAW THE APU SITTING AHEAD AND TO MY R. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO STOP BUT I WAS TOO LATE AND SLID ON THE SLIPPERY SNOW COVERED GND. (ABOUT 1 1/2'). THE SPINNER AND THE PROP (R SIDE) HIT THE APU AND I SHUT BOTH ENGS DOWN. CONTACTED GND TO CANCEL MY CLRNC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. LOW VISIBILITY. SNOW AND FOG REDUCED VISIBILITY TO 2 1/2 MI RPTED BY THE TWR. THE WHITE APU DIDN'T CONTRAST WITH THE WHITE SNOW COVERED GND. STRESS: FIRST NIGHT ALONE ON THE RUN. KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WERE SCHEDULES TO BE USED. APU WAS NOT PARKED IN PROPER PLACE, WAS UNLIGHTED AND UNMARKED. THE FACT THAT IT WAS MY FIRST NIGHT DIDN'T DISTRACT ME FROM DOING A WALK AROUND AND AT THAT TIME SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT THE APU WOULD BE IN MY PATH IF I WOULD MAKE A TURN TO THE R. DURING TAXIING OUT I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AROUND BETTER ESPECIALLY WITH THE LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE. I HAD CLRED OFF MY WINDSHIELD BEFORE GETTING IN THE AIRPLANE. APPARENTLY THE APU NEVER CAUGHT MY EYE.
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.