An small aircraft private pilot touched a chain link fence with his wing tip while taxiing in a very...

Narrative:

As I approached the premises, someone in the office directed me to park 'south of the terminal anywhere I could find a spot.' no one offered to guide me in. I taxied very slowly between the third and last row of planes and a high chain link fence, separating the tie down area from another facility. This taxiway seemed narrower than the others and I noticed 2 dumpsters sitting next to the fence, projecting into the taxiway. I proceeded very slowly, mindful of the row of airplanes' noses on my right. I tended to guide on the left, along the fence, to ensure missing the row of parked planes on the right. The dumpsters just ahead compounded the taxiing problem. While trying to allow adequate space to avoid striking the planes to the right and approaching the (1) empty spot, I touched a chain link fence pole on the left. Hearing the noise through my open vent in the left window, I stopped at once, short of the empty spot. Fortunately, I had been moving very slowly. I moved the plane into the spot by myself, checked in with the FBO, and left. I did complete a squawk sheet, complaining about the narrow taxiways and lack of assistance and asking the repair people to look at the wing tip on monday a.M. On monday a.M., I met with the service manager who gave me a 'discrepancy sheet,' certifying that damage was minor and the airplane was airworthy for return flight to home base. I departed and returned to my home base without incident. In a similar situation, I would insist that a line person guide me to the tie down spot, or tow the airplane. Before I departed on MM/dd, I measured the distance between the dumpsters and the tie down line. It was 36 ft. My wingspan is 35 ft. In conversation on MM/dd with the line supervisor (not the line manager, who was away), he noted that sometime in the past, the FAA apparently had made the FBO move some potted plants closer to the terminal because someone had struck them due to cramped quarters. Space is at a premium in this busy facility. In such situations, it is critical that FBO operators help protect their clients by adequately assisting in taxiing and parking.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PVT PLT TOUCHED A CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH HIS WING TIP WHILE TAXIING IN A VERY TIGHT SPOT WITHOUT GUIDANCE. DAMAGE WAS MINOR AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Narrative: AS I APCHED THE PREMISES, SOMEONE IN THE OFFICE DIRECTED ME TO PARK 'S OF THE TERMINAL ANYWHERE I COULD FIND A SPOT.' NO ONE OFFERED TO GUIDE ME IN. I TAXIED VERY SLOWLY BTWN THE THIRD AND LAST ROW OF PLANES AND A HIGH CHAIN LINK FENCE, SEPARATING THE TIE DOWN AREA FROM ANOTHER FACILITY. THIS TAXIWAY SEEMED NARROWER THAN THE OTHERS AND I NOTICED 2 DUMPSTERS SITTING NEXT TO THE FENCE, PROJECTING INTO THE TAXIWAY. I PROCEEDED VERY SLOWLY, MINDFUL OF THE ROW OF AIRPLANES' NOSES ON MY R. I TENDED TO GUIDE ON THE L, ALONG THE FENCE, TO ENSURE MISSING THE ROW OF PARKED PLANES ON THE R. THE DUMPSTERS JUST AHEAD COMPOUNDED THE TAXIING PROBLEM. WHILE TRYING TO ALLOW ADEQUATE SPACE TO AVOID STRIKING THE PLANES TO THE R AND APCHING THE (1) EMPTY SPOT, I TOUCHED A CHAIN LINK FENCE POLE ON THE L. HEARING THE NOISE THROUGH MY OPEN VENT IN THE L WINDOW, I STOPPED AT ONCE, SHORT OF THE EMPTY SPOT. FORTUNATELY, I HAD BEEN MOVING VERY SLOWLY. I MOVED THE PLANE INTO THE SPOT BY MYSELF, CHKED IN WITH THE FBO, AND LEFT. I DID COMPLETE A SQUAWK SHEET, COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NARROW TAXIWAYS AND LACK OF ASSISTANCE AND ASKING THE REPAIR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE WING TIP ON MONDAY A.M. ON MONDAY A.M., I MET WITH THE SVC MGR WHO GAVE ME A 'DISCREPANCY SHEET,' CERTIFYING THAT DAMAGE WAS MINOR AND THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRWORTHY FOR RETURN FLT TO HOME BASE. I DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, I WOULD INSIST THAT A LINE PERSON GUIDE ME TO THE TIE DOWN SPOT, OR TOW THE AIRPLANE. BEFORE I DEPARTED ON MM/DD, I MEASURED THE DISTANCE BTWN THE DUMPSTERS AND THE TIE DOWN LINE. IT WAS 36 FT. MY WINGSPAN IS 35 FT. IN CONVERSATION ON MM/DD WITH THE LINE SUPVR (NOT THE LINE MGR, WHO WAS AWAY), HE NOTED THAT SOMETIME IN THE PAST, THE FAA APPARENTLY HAD MADE THE FBO MOVE SOME POTTED PLANTS CLOSER TO THE TERMINAL BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD STRUCK THEM DUE TO CRAMPED QUARTERS. SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM IN THIS BUSY FACILITY. IN SUCH SITUATIONS, IT IS CRITICAL THAT FBO OPERATORS HELP PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS BY ADEQUATELY ASSISTING IN TAXIING AND PARKING.

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.

Attributes
ACN	209825
Time
Date	199205
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1278 flight time type : 745
ASRS Report	209825
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

An small aircraft private pilot touched a chain link fence with his wing tip while taxiing in a very tight spot without guidance. Damage was minor and there were no injuries.