Narrative:

While taxiing on centerline the left wing tip of my medium large transport grazed the upright support tower of a portable construction light stand. Airport police escorted me back to the scene of the incident and together we found several clear wing tip lens fragments. The airport police, at my request, measure the distance to several of these fragments and arrived a 54', 9'; measured from taxiway centerline to the fragments. The medium large transport operating manual lists the wing span of the aircraft at 107', 10'--half of that is 53', 11'. I feel that this is conclusive evidence as to my statement that I was on centerline and that therefore the light stand was improperly placed too close to the taxiway edge. Perhaps construction crews should be instructed in writing as to where to place lights and equipment. I think the fact that the lights were extremely bright may have affected my depth perception because I had noticed them and commented, 'so much for our night vision.' the lights were aimed parallel to the taxiway, which means they were directly aimed at us. Perhaps the brightness factor contributed to our inability to determine that their placement was too close. Photographers use something called barn doors to control lights spillage--maybe our night vision and depth perception would be well served by an adaptation of these devices. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: analyst learned that a construction worker had set up the light stands west/O airport knowledge. This occurred early in the morning just as the airport veh was arriving at the scene. The light stand was between the runway and the taxiway. The airport authority/authorized already has a policy that no barriers are to be installed unless previously approved and an airport employee is present. This incident had been investigated earlier by the airport and tower. Supplemental information from acn 174433: while taxiing south on taxiway alpha, just south of intersection microphone, we felt a bump from the right main gear area. We informed tower that we thought we had run over a rock. While we discussed the situation, a F/a informed us that a pilot riding in the aft cabin thought that our left wing tip had struck a light stanchion temporarily placed off the left side (east side) of the taxiway. We then returned to the gate to inspect the tires and wing tip for damage. Inspection revealed a shattered lens and deformation of the surrounding metal on the left wing tip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TAXIING AT NIGHT AT RNO HITS TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION LIGHT STAND WITH WING TIP.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING ON CENTERLINE THE LEFT WING TIP OF MY MLG GRAZED THE UPRIGHT SUPPORT TWR OF A PORTABLE CONSTRUCTION LIGHT STAND. ARPT POLICE ESCORTED ME BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT AND TOGETHER WE FOUND SEVERAL CLR WING TIP LENS FRAGMENTS. THE ARPT POLICE, AT MY REQUEST, MEASURE THE DISTANCE TO SEVERAL OF THESE FRAGMENTS AND ARRIVED A 54', 9'; MEASURED FROM TXWY CENTERLINE TO THE FRAGMENTS. THE MLG OPERATING MANUAL LISTS THE WING SPAN OF THE ACFT AT 107', 10'--HALF OF THAT IS 53', 11'. I FEEL THAT THIS IS CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE AS TO MY STATEMENT THAT I WAS ON CENTERLINE AND THAT THEREFORE THE LIGHT STAND WAS IMPROPERLY PLACED TOO CLOSE TO THE TXWY EDGE. PERHAPS CONSTRUCTION CREWS SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED IN WRITING AS TO WHERE TO PLACE LIGHTS AND EQUIP. I THINK THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS WERE EXTREMELY BRIGHT MAY HAVE AFFECTED MY DEPTH PERCEPTION BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED THEM AND COMMENTED, 'SO MUCH FOR OUR NIGHT VISION.' THE LIGHTS WERE AIMED PARALLEL TO THE TXWY, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE DIRECTLY AIMED AT US. PERHAPS THE BRIGHTNESS FACTOR CONTRIBUTED TO OUR INABILITY TO DETERMINE THAT THEIR PLACEMENT WAS TOO CLOSE. PHOTOGRAPHERS USE SOMETHING CALLED BARN DOORS TO CTL LIGHTS SPILLAGE--MAYBE OUR NIGHT VISION AND DEPTH PERCEPTION WOULD BE WELL SERVED BY AN ADAPTATION OF THESE DEVICES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ANALYST LEARNED THAT A CONSTRUCTION WORKER HAD SET UP THE LIGHT STANDS W/O ARPT KNOWLEDGE. THIS OCCURRED EARLY IN THE MORNING JUST AS THE ARPT VEH WAS ARRIVING AT THE SCENE. THE LIGHT STAND WAS BTWN THE RWY AND THE TXWY. THE ARPT AUTH ALREADY HAS A POLICY THAT NO BARRIERS ARE TO BE INSTALLED UNLESS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED AND AN ARPT EMPLOYEE IS PRESENT. THIS INCIDENT HAD BEEN INVESTIGATED EARLIER BY THE ARPT AND TWR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 174433: WHILE TAXIING S ON TXWY ALPHA, JUST S OF INTXN MIKE, WE FELT A BUMP FROM THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AREA. WE INFORMED TWR THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD RUN OVER A ROCK. WHILE WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION, A F/A INFORMED US THAT A PLT RIDING IN THE AFT CABIN THOUGHT THAT OUR LEFT WING TIP HAD STRUCK A LIGHT STANCHION TEMPORARILY PLACED OFF THE LEFT SIDE (E SIDE) OF THE TXWY. WE THEN RETURNED TO THE GATE TO INSPECT THE TIRES AND WING TIP FOR DAMAGE. INSPECTION REVEALED A SHATTERED LENS AND DEFORMATION OF THE SURROUNDING METAL ON THE LEFT WING TIP.

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.