Narrative:

The problem arose when the FBO put a 14.5 ft by 12 ft by 13 inch high helicopter towing trailer in an aircraft parking spot. Contributing factors include the fact that the area FBO chose to leave this maintenance equipment was void of all lighting. The only lighting was orange-yellow mercury vapor lights about a football field away provided by the city of portland. FBO has a fuel pumping station with lights about 100 ft away but this lighting was not on this night (they had it on the next night). Also contributing to the problem was the low profile of the trailer (the next day FBO had put 3 ft traffic cones on the corners). Another factor was the complete lack of any reflective tape on the trailer. The trailer did not have an obstacle (red) light on it. In FBO parking area, the taxi stripe just ends with no directions where to taxi next. One contributing factor is FBO's snobbish attitude. (I have experienced this first hand, if you fly in a military bird you are treated like a king, fly a small GA light twin and they don't have the time of day). If you fly an small transport or light transport they tow your aircraft to the main, illuminated ramp, and provide ground guides. Private type TA are left to walk out to their aircraft, wherever FBO had reparked them at. Finally my aircraft only has one landing light, a narrow beam from the nose of the aircraft. As I was turning right the beam, the path, of my landing light never illuminated the hazard/object. The problem, the trailer, was discovered, as I slowly made a right turn, after the taxi stripe had ended, when my right propeller struck it. Corrective actions would be: 1) never have it on the ramp in the first place! If it must be out there, as a helicopter is on its way in for maintenance, mark with reflective tape, and lighting and leave it in an illuminated place on the ramp. The next day I found it parked in the back lot of their yard, away from all aircraft movement areas. Human performance considerations. I see no perceptions, judgements, decisions, actions, or factors affecting the quality of human performance that were in error on my part. The problem lays with FBO and their inaction to provide a hazard free illuminated parking area. In closing I would like to say this is my first NASA report and first incident in civilian flying. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter said that initially, insurance adjuster was going to blame the FBO 80 percent and the reporter 20 percent. But, after viewing all the evidence, he decided that the FBO should get 100 percent of the blame. Sad sidelight; the aircraft only had 7 flying hours since being repaired (2 new propellers and 2 new engines) because of a landing gear failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT TAXIES INTO AN UNMARKED TRAILER PARKED ON AN UNLIT RAMP. PROP DAMAGE.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM AROSE WHEN THE FBO PUT A 14.5 FT BY 12 FT BY 13 INCH HIGH HELI TOWING TRAILER IN AN ACFT PARKING SPOT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT THE AREA FBO CHOSE TO LEAVE THIS MAINT EQUIP WAS VOID OF ALL LIGHTING. THE ONLY LIGHTING WAS ORANGE-YELLOW MERCURY VAPOR LIGHTS ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF PORTLAND. FBO HAS A FUEL PUMPING STATION WITH LIGHTS ABOUT 100 FT AWAY BUT THIS LIGHTING WAS NOT ON THIS NIGHT (THEY HAD IT ON THE NEXT NIGHT). ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM WAS THE LOW PROFILE OF THE TRAILER (THE NEXT DAY FBO HAD PUT 3 FT TFC CONES ON THE CORNERS). ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE COMPLETE LACK OF ANY REFLECTIVE TAPE ON THE TRAILER. THE TRAILER DID NOT HAVE AN OBSTACLE (RED) LIGHT ON IT. IN FBO PARKING AREA, THE TAXI STRIPE JUST ENDS WITH NO DIRECTIONS WHERE TO TAXI NEXT. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS FBO'S SNOBBISH ATTITUDE. (I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FIRST HAND, IF YOU FLY IN A MIL BIRD YOU ARE TREATED LIKE A KING, FLY A SMALL GA LIGHT TWIN AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME OF DAY). IF YOU FLY AN SMT OR LTT THEY TOW YOUR ACFT TO THE MAIN, ILLUMINATED RAMP, AND PROVIDE GND GUIDES. PRIVATE TYPE TA ARE LEFT TO WALK OUT TO THEIR ACFT, WHEREVER FBO HAD REPARKED THEM AT. FINALLY MY ACFT ONLY HAS ONE LNDG LIGHT, A NARROW BEAM FROM THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. AS I WAS TURNING R THE BEAM, THE PATH, OF MY LNDG LIGHT NEVER ILLUMINATED THE HAZARD/OBJECT. THE PROBLEM, THE TRAILER, WAS DISCOVERED, AS I SLOWLY MADE A R TURN, AFTER THE TAXI STRIPE HAD ENDED, WHEN MY R PROP STRUCK IT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WOULD BE: 1) NEVER HAVE IT ON THE RAMP IN THE FIRST PLACE! IF IT MUST BE OUT THERE, AS A HELI IS ON ITS WAY IN FOR MAINT, MARK WITH REFLECTIVE TAPE, AND LIGHTING AND LEAVE IT IN AN ILLUMINATED PLACE ON THE RAMP. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND IT PARKED IN THE BACK LOT OF THEIR YARD, AWAY FROM ALL ACFT MOVEMENT AREAS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. I SEE NO PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS, ACTIONS, OR FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE THAT WERE IN ERROR ON MY PART. THE PROBLEM LAYS WITH FBO AND THEIR INACTION TO PROVIDE A HAZARD FREE ILLUMINATED PARKING AREA. IN CLOSING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS IS MY FIRST NASA RPT AND FIRST INCIDENT IN CIVILIAN FLYING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAID THAT INITIALLY, INSURANCE ADJUSTER WAS GOING TO BLAME THE FBO 80 PERCENT AND THE RPTR 20 PERCENT. BUT, AFTER VIEWING ALL THE EVIDENCE, HE DECIDED THAT THE FBO SHOULD GET 100 PERCENT OF THE BLAME. SAD SIDELIGHT; THE ACFT ONLY HAD 7 FLYING HOURS SINCE BEING REPAIRED (2 NEW PROPS AND 2 NEW ENGS) BECAUSE OF A LNDG GEAR FAILURE.

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.