Narrative:

Left front corner of wing tip hit metal post while taxiing into position for refueling. Taxi speed did not exceed 1-2 mph. On contact, I braked immediately, shut down engine, and pushed aircraft straight back. Impact caused a dimple shaped dent 2.5 inches high, 2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch deep. I had an a and east mechanic examine the damage and wing. He confirmed my own judgement that no structural damage or distortion had occurred, and that the airplane was flyable. He said the dent might simply be popped out. He declined to give me a written evaluation, or attempt repair himself. Upon return to gai I called the maintenance chief, and reported the incident. He saw no reason for me to take any other immediate action. Personal evaluation: I allowed my passenger to distract me from exercising the extra precaution the fuel pump's position required, and accept full financial responsibility. The embarrassment should make me more careful in the future. Comment: the fuel attendant tried to console me by describing several previous incidents of the same nature involving much greater damage than mine. The post's paint was in fact chipped off vertically for several inches at the heights of low wing and high wing aircraft. In spite of this, the post has no prominent color (it's dull maroon), no guidelines are painted on the pavement, and no cautions are posted. You may wish to alert the FAA to the lack of measures to alert pilots to the fuel layout's wing damage potential. I doubt if every pilot who suffers even more serious damage than I did would take the precaution to have a certified mechanic examine the aircraft for structural damage to the wing. Moreover, the runway not only has 'rough pavement' as a NOTAM states, but there are (shallow) pot holes in it. I can imagine a situation which might cause a pilot to lose control on takeoff or landing roll. The airport, I understand, is or soon will be in receivership under bankruptcy proceedings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TO FUELING AREA, WING TIP HIT POLE.

Narrative: L FRONT CORNER OF WING TIP HIT METAL POST WHILE TAXIING INTO POS FOR REFUELING. TAXI SPD DID NOT EXCEED 1-2 MPH. ON CONTACT, I BRAKED IMMEDIATELY, SHUT DOWN ENG, AND PUSHED ACFT STRAIGHT BACK. IMPACT CAUSED A DIMPLE SHAPED DENT 2.5 INCHES HIGH, 2 INCHES WIDE, AND 1/2 INCH DEEP. I HAD AN A AND E MECH EXAMINE THE DAMAGE AND WING. HE CONFIRMED MY OWN JUDGEMENT THAT NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR DISTORTION HAD OCCURRED, AND THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYABLE. HE SAID THE DENT MIGHT SIMPLY BE POPPED OUT. HE DECLINED TO GIVE ME A WRITTEN EVALUATION, OR ATTEMPT REPAIR HIMSELF. UPON RETURN TO GAI I CALLED THE MAINT CHIEF, AND RPTED THE INCIDENT. HE SAW NO REASON FOR ME TO TAKE ANY OTHER IMMEDIATE ACTION. PERSONAL EVALUATION: I ALLOWED MY PAX TO DISTRACT ME FROM EXERCISING THE EXTRA PRECAUTION THE FUEL PUMP'S POS REQUIRED, AND ACCEPT FULL FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE EMBARRASSMENT SHOULD MAKE ME MORE CAREFUL IN THE FUTURE. COMMENT: THE FUEL ATTENDANT TRIED TO CONSOLE ME BY DESCRIBING SEVERAL PREVIOUS INCIDENTS OF THE SAME NATURE INVOLVING MUCH GREATER DAMAGE THAN MINE. THE POST'S PAINT WAS IN FACT CHIPPED OFF VERTICALLY FOR SEVERAL INCHES AT THE HEIGHTS OF LOW WING AND HIGH WING ACFT. IN SPITE OF THIS, THE POST HAS NO PROMINENT COLOR (IT'S DULL MAROON), NO GUIDELINES ARE PAINTED ON THE PAVEMENT, AND NO CAUTIONS ARE POSTED. YOU MAY WISH TO ALERT THE FAA TO THE LACK OF MEASURES TO ALERT PLTS TO THE FUEL LAYOUT'S WING DAMAGE POTENTIAL. I DOUBT IF EVERY PLT WHO SUFFERS EVEN MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE THAN I DID WOULD TAKE THE PRECAUTION TO HAVE A CERTIFIED MECH EXAMINE THE ACFT FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE WING. MOREOVER, THE RWY NOT ONLY HAS 'ROUGH PAVEMENT' AS A NOTAM STATES, BUT THERE ARE (SHALLOW) POT HOLES IN IT. I CAN IMAGINE A SITUATION WHICH MIGHT CAUSE A PLT TO LOSE CTL ON TKOF OR LNDG ROLL. THE ARPT, I UNDERSTAND, IS OR SOON WILL BE IN RECEIVERSHIP UNDER BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS.

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.