Narrative:

I became a partner and have been flying this small aircraft since 8/89. The aircraft is a tail dragger biplane. On the evening of 6/X/91, I landed on 28R at myf. My wife, a licensed private pilot, was a passenger. We rolled out on taxiway C and were instructed to hold short of 28L. After holding briefly on C, between 28R and 28L, we were instructed to cross the left and contact ground. While still in the active portion of 28L (before the hold bars) I suddenly saw the vertical tail fin of an aircraft ahead, with collision imminent. In order not to chew up the tail of the aircraft ahead, I was forced to apply the brakes so hard that the biplane nosed over. Neither my wife nor I were aware of the other aircraft till the last instant. The visibility over the nose of the biplane is non existent. The attached photo confirms that we nosed over before the hold bards. Essentially the tower told me to cross 28L and cleared me into a space that was occupied by another aircraft. It is my belief that the tower personnel are unaware of blase about the fact that the visibility for a biplane is so poor. I had an incident earlier in june when stopped on taxiway C between 28L and taxiway G, I was cleared to the fuel pumps. When I started to taxi I saw just in time an aircraft taxiing toward me on C turning onto G. The ground controller had not warned me and I could not see the aircraft from my cockpit. Last evening I heard the tower on the airport administrators radio joking with another pilot about my plight, indicating to me that they had no idea that they were the base cause of the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT PUTS A TAIL DRAGGER ON ITS NOSE TO AVOID HITTING AN ACFT TAXIING AHEAD OF THE TAIL DRAGGER.

Narrative: I BECAME A PARTNER AND HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS SMA SINCE 8/89. THE ACFT IS A TAIL DRAGGER BIPLANE. ON THE EVENING OF 6/X/91, I LANDED ON 28R AT MYF. MY WIFE, A LICENSED PVT PLT, WAS A PAX. WE ROLLED OUT ON TXWY C AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD SHORT OF 28L. AFTER HOLDING BRIEFLY ON C, BTWN 28R AND 28L, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS THE LEFT AND CONTACT GND. WHILE STILL IN THE ACTIVE PORTION OF 28L (BEFORE THE HOLD BARS) I SUDDENLY SAW THE VERT TAIL FIN OF AN ACFT AHEAD, WITH COLLISION IMMINENT. IN ORDER NOT TO CHEW UP THE TAIL OF THE ACFT AHEAD, I WAS FORCED TO APPLY THE BRAKES SO HARD THAT THE BIPLANE NOSED OVER. NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I WERE AWARE OF THE OTHER ACFT TILL THE LAST INSTANT. THE VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE OF THE BIPLANE IS NON EXISTENT. THE ATTACHED PHOTO CONFIRMS THAT WE NOSED OVER BEFORE THE HOLD BARDS. ESSENTIALLY THE TWR TOLD ME TO CROSS 28L AND CLRED ME INTO A SPACE THAT WAS OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER ACFT. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE TWR PERSONNEL ARE UNAWARE OF BLASE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE VISIBILITY FOR A BIPLANE IS SO POOR. I HAD AN INCIDENT EARLIER IN JUNE WHEN STOPPED ON TXWY C BTWN 28L AND TXWY G, I WAS CLRED TO THE FUEL PUMPS. WHEN I STARTED TO TAXI I SAW JUST IN TIME AN ACFT TAXIING TOWARD ME ON C TURNING ONTO G. THE GND CTLR HAD NOT WARNED ME AND I COULD NOT SEE THE ACFT FROM MY COCKPIT. LAST EVENING I HEARD THE TWR ON THE ARPT ADMINISTRATORS RADIO JOKING WITH ANOTHER PLT ABOUT MY PLIGHT, INDICATING TO ME THAT THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY WERE THE BASE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT.

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.