Narrative:

Aircraft was parked, fully fueled prior to IFR departure on a ferry flight from USA to uk. Due to 50 us gallons fuel tank fitted in rear seat position, which was full, aircraft was in a high nose attitude. The aircraft, an small aircraft, has excellent all-round visibility in its normal attitude, but in a tail down/nose high attitude forward visibility was deceptively restr. A helicopter storage platform (12 ft by 10 ft by 15 inches high) had been left unattended and unmarked some 30 ft ahead of the parked aircraft, and start- up and taxi was undertaken without ground personnel. When taxi was commenced, a left turn was initiated, but the platform was not visible with the high nose attitude, and shortly after commencement of taxi, the propeller struck the l-hand corner of the platform. During the preflight inspection, the platform had been noticed, but prior to start and taxi, a requirement arose to return to the office for a short period. Start and taxi undertaken having forgotten that a sharp left turn was required at commencement of taxi. Main damage caused due to emergency braking, when, from initial scratching, the propeller dug in and contacted angle iron frame. Irrespective of the responsibility of the owner of the platform to ensure it was not a hazard to other ramp users after the helicopter took off, the bottom line is that the aircraft commander is ultimately responsible for the safety of his aircraft. The irresponsible and callous way in which the platform was just left on the ramp (until the helicopter returned) was nothing short of callousness which displayed a total disregard for other people's property or even presence, which borders on the criminal. Dull, drizzly WX with poor visibility was probably a contributing factor, and added to the deceptively restr forward visibility, the distraction after the preflight walkaround, together with the negligent way the platform had been left, all came together with an inevitability that the ground maintenance personnel had seen coming (the platform is always left on the ramp unattended and unmarked) for months, and who had persistently informed told asked pleaded with the owner of the platform, not to leave the platform unattended!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIING FOR FERRY FLT HITS HELI PLATFORM LEFT ON RAMP.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PARKED, FULLY FUELED PRIOR TO IFR DEP ON A FERRY FLT FROM USA TO UK. DUE TO 50 US GALLONS FUEL TANK FITTED IN REAR SEAT POS, WHICH WAS FULL, ACFT WAS IN A HIGH NOSE ATTITUDE. THE ACFT, AN SMA, HAS EXCELLENT ALL-ROUND VISIBILITY IN ITS NORMAL ATTITUDE, BUT IN A TAIL DOWN/NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS DECEPTIVELY RESTR. A HELI STORAGE PLATFORM (12 FT BY 10 FT BY 15 INCHES HIGH) HAD BEEN LEFT UNATTENDED AND UNMARKED SOME 30 FT AHEAD OF THE PARKED ACFT, AND START- UP AND TAXI WAS UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT GND PERSONNEL. WHEN TAXI WAS COMMENCED, A L TURN WAS INITIATED, BUT THE PLATFORM WAS NOT VISIBLE WITH THE HIGH NOSE ATTITUDE, AND SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF TAXI, THE PROP STRUCK THE L-HAND CORNER OF THE PLATFORM. DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION, THE PLATFORM HAD BEEN NOTICED, BUT PRIOR TO START AND TAXI, A REQUIREMENT AROSE TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE FOR A SHORT PERIOD. START AND TAXI UNDERTAKEN HAVING FORGOTTEN THAT A SHARP L TURN WAS REQUIRED AT COMMENCEMENT OF TAXI. MAIN DAMAGE CAUSED DUE TO EMER BRAKING, WHEN, FROM INITIAL SCRATCHING, THE PROP DUG IN AND CONTACTED ANGLE IRON FRAME. IRRESPECTIVE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OWNER OF THE PLATFORM TO ENSURE IT WAS NOT A HAZARD TO OTHER RAMP USERS AFTER THE HELI TOOK OFF, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE ACFT COMMANDER IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS ACFT. THE IRRESPONSIBLE AND CALLOUS WAY IN WHICH THE PLATFORM WAS JUST LEFT ON THE RAMP (UNTIL THE HELI RETURNED) WAS NOTHING SHORT OF CALLOUSNESS WHICH DISPLAYED A TOTAL DISREGARD FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY OR EVEN PRESENCE, WHICH BORDERS ON THE CRIMINAL. DULL, DRIZZLY WX WITH POOR VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AND ADDED TO THE DECEPTIVELY RESTR FORWARD VISIBILITY, THE DISTR AFTER THE PREFLT WALKAROUND, TOGETHER WITH THE NEGLIGENT WAY THE PLATFORM HAD BEEN LEFT, ALL CAME TOGETHER WITH AN INEVITABILITY THAT THE GND MAINT PERSONNEL HAD SEEN COMING (THE PLATFORM IS ALWAYS LEFT ON THE RAMP UNATTENDED AND UNMARKED) FOR MONTHS, AND WHO HAD PERSISTENTLY INFORMED TOLD ASKED PLEADED WITH THE OWNER OF THE PLATFORM, NOT TO LEAVE THE PLATFORM UNATTENDED!

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.