Narrative:

I arrived at the yolo county airport on 8/91 at approximately XX45 am. I taxied from the mid-field turn off to the transient aircraft parking area next to a parachute jumping facility and a maintenance shop, respectively. Due to the position of another aircraft, a tent and a dumpster I elected to turn into the parking area with a sign calling it #3 and specifying it as an area for transient parking. I proceeded to taxi to the end and began a turn to the right to the tiedown positions. I was concentrating on the obstacles present in the parking area and did not see a new hazard: fence poles. I have taxied into this location several times in the past. There has never been a problem making the turn. The roadway and taxiway are very close in that area, as close as about 11 ft, and any obstacles, especially those more than 5 ft tall, present a hazard to taxiing aircraft. There is a slight grade upwards from the taxiway to the roadway which had the effect of further raising the pole's height relative to any aircraft. It was normal, in the past, for a portion of the left wing to pass over the dirt and roadway surface during this turn. Even with the upwards grade a low wing aircraft could easily make the turn if the wheel is kept on the concrete taxiway surface. Partially through the turn I looked left to check my clearance from the roadway and saw a pole both in front of and behind my left wing. I also saw several newly formed holes in the underside of that wing. I stopped the aircraft and removed it manually from that position so as not to inflict further damage. There was also damage to the left stabilator and more deep scratches in the outboard of the wing's integral fuel tank. Fortunately the damage was confined to the skin and no spare or stringer damage occurred. The aircraft will be ferried to a repair facility closer to my home. The poles, I am told, were placed along the roadway adjacent to the taxiway by the county. After some investigation it appears that a fence was being constructed along the full length of the roadway from the entrance to the automobile parking area. A portion of the fence had bright red flags tied to it, apparently in an effort to make it more visible. The portion which damaged my aircraft did not. The steel poles are brown or rust color and only about 1 inch on a side. They blend in with the surrounding terrain and become almost invisible at any distance. This problem was exacerbated by the low sun angle of the early morning, the sun was in my eyes and behind the poles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT DAMAGED L WING TAXIING TO TRANSIENT PARKING AREA AT 2Q3.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT THE YOLO COUNTY ARPT ON 8/91 AT APPROX XX45 AM. I TAXIED FROM THE MID-FIELD TURN OFF TO THE TRANSIENT ACFT PARKING AREA NEXT TO A PARACHUTE JUMPING FACILITY AND A MAINT SHOP, RESPECTIVELY. DUE TO THE POS OF ANOTHER ACFT, A TENT AND A DUMPSTER I ELECTED TO TURN INTO THE PARKING AREA WITH A SIGN CALLING IT #3 AND SPECIFYING IT AS AN AREA FOR TRANSIENT PARKING. I PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE END AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE R TO THE TIEDOWN POSITIONS. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE OBSTACLES PRESENT IN THE PARKING AREA AND DID NOT SEE A NEW HAZARD: FENCE POLES. I HAVE TAXIED INTO THIS LOCATION SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM MAKING THE TURN. THE ROADWAY AND TAXIWAY ARE VERY CLOSE IN THAT AREA, AS CLOSE AS ABOUT 11 FT, AND ANY OBSTACLES, ESPECIALLY THOSE MORE THAN 5 FT TALL, PRESENT A HAZARD TO TAXIING ACFT. THERE IS A SLIGHT GRADE UPWARDS FROM THE TAXIWAY TO THE ROADWAY WHICH HAD THE EFFECT OF FURTHER RAISING THE POLE'S HEIGHT RELATIVE TO ANY ACFT. IT WAS NORMAL, IN THE PAST, FOR A PORTION OF THE L WING TO PASS OVER THE DIRT AND ROADWAY SURFACE DURING THIS TURN. EVEN WITH THE UPWARDS GRADE A LOW WING ACFT COULD EASILY MAKE THE TURN IF THE WHEEL IS KEPT ON THE CONCRETE TAXIWAY SURFACE. PARTIALLY THROUGH THE TURN I LOOKED L TO CHK MY CLRNC FROM THE ROADWAY AND SAW A POLE BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND MY L WING. I ALSO SAW SEVERAL NEWLY FORMED HOLES IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THAT WING. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND REMOVED IT MANUALLY FROM THAT POS SO AS NOT TO INFLICT FURTHER DAMAGE. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE L STABILATOR AND MORE DEEP SCRATCHES IN THE OUTBOARD OF THE WING'S INTEGRAL FUEL TANK. FORTUNATELY THE DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE SKIN AND NO SPARE OR STRINGER DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE ACFT WILL BE FERRIED TO A REPAIR FACILITY CLOSER TO MY HOME. THE POLES, I AM TOLD, WERE PLACED ALONG THE ROADWAY ADJACENT TO THE TAXIWAY BY THE COUNTY. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION IT APPEARS THAT A FENCE WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED ALONG THE FULL LENGTH OF THE ROADWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE TO THE AUTOMOBILE PARKING AREA. A PORTION OF THE FENCE HAD BRIGHT RED FLAGS TIED TO IT, APPARENTLY IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE IT MORE VISIBLE. THE PORTION WHICH DAMAGED MY ACFT DID NOT. THE STEEL POLES ARE BROWN OR RUST COLOR AND ONLY ABOUT 1 INCH ON A SIDE. THEY BLEND IN WITH THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AND BECOME ALMOST INVISIBLE AT ANY DISTANCE. THIS PROBLEM WAS EXACERBATED BY THE LOW SUN ANGLE OF THE EARLY MORNING, THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES AND BEHIND THE POLES.

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.