Narrative:

The next time out I would concentrate on cockpit familiarization, digital radio usage, etc., with someone familiar with the newer equipment. In an effort to get away from the hangar so as not to interfere with the navigation/communication, we taxied behind a row of about 5 parked aircraft which were on my left and a large hangar to my right, en route to a more open ramp area. I was in the left seat. I slowed the small aircraft to a slow walk verifying clearance of the parked aircraft, and the hangar. My passenger, who was to provide some instruction on the newer radios and navigation equipment, watched the right wing, and once he observed it clear of the hangar, turned his attention into the cockpit. We taxied another 10 or 20 ft before I noticed too late a white steel sign post which extended about 2 ft out from the hangar. I hit the brakes probably about the same time I impacted the post with the extreme outer tip of the right wing. I shut down the aircraft. We looked over the damaged right leading edge and wing tip. FSDO was notified, but since minor damage was believed involved, no further action was taken. However, several people voiced concern about internal spar damage and skin rippling in the wing root area being common when the wing strikes anything that far out due to the leverage of the force, and some is evident. I'm not quite sure and an expert airframe a&P is scheduled to look it over next week. The real problem was the pilot's (my) failure to communication with his passenger, who was also a pilot and was actively observing my right wing. I never verbally verified what I needed from my passenger while near the hangar and parked aircraft. Once I cleared the hangar and was assured of clearance with the parked aircraft, I and my passenger mentally thought the danger was over and may have mentally let up. The passenger in the right seat who has considerably more time than I shares the responsibility for the incident, yet it was through my inaction or failure to communication my needs, which led to the damage of the aircraft. It would seem that, if it's important enough to be concerned about and taking precautionary action (slowing down), it's important enough to share your concern and ask for assistance in a difficult situation. Supplemental information from acn 237617: at the time of the incident, I was picking up the radio microphone to talk to traffic that was calling in on unicom. I did not see the pole nor the collision with it. Even though the pilot of the aircraft was very careful, he did not see the pole because its color blended in with the hangar's. The problem could be corrected by painting the sign post a more visible color or putting up a sign marking the obstruction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC HITS OBSTRUCTION BUILDING.

Narrative: THE NEXT TIME OUT I WOULD CONCENTRATE ON COCKPIT FAMILIARIZATION, DIGITAL RADIO USAGE, ETC., WITH SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEWER EQUIP. IN AN EFFORT TO GET AWAY FROM THE HANGAR SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE NAV/COM, WE TAXIED BEHIND A ROW OF ABOUT 5 PARKED ACFT WHICH WERE ON MY L AND A LARGE HANGAR TO MY R, ENRTE TO A MORE OPEN RAMP AREA. I WAS IN THE L SEAT. I SLOWED THE SMA TO A SLOW WALK VERIFYING CLRNC OF THE PARKED ACFT, AND THE HANGAR. MY PAX, WHO WAS TO PROVIDE SOME INSTRUCTION ON THE NEWER RADIOS AND NAV EQUIP, WATCHED THE R WING, AND ONCE HE OBSERVED IT CLR OF THE HANGAR, TURNED HIS ATTN INTO THE COCKPIT. WE TAXIED ANOTHER 10 OR 20 FT BEFORE I NOTICED TOO LATE A WHITE STEEL SIGN POST WHICH EXTENDED ABOUT 2 FT OUT FROM THE HANGAR. I HIT THE BRAKES PROBABLY ABOUT THE SAME TIME I IMPACTED THE POST WITH THE EXTREME OUTER TIP OF THE R WING. I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. WE LOOKED OVER THE DAMAGED R LEADING EDGE AND WING TIP. FSDO WAS NOTIFIED, BUT SINCE MINOR DAMAGE WAS BELIEVED INVOLVED, NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN. HOWEVER, SEVERAL PEOPLE VOICED CONCERN ABOUT INTERNAL SPAR DAMAGE AND SKIN RIPPLING IN THE WING ROOT AREA BEING COMMON WHEN THE WING STRIKES ANYTHING THAT FAR OUT DUE TO THE LEVERAGE OF THE FORCE, AND SOME IS EVIDENT. I'M NOT QUITE SURE AND AN EXPERT AIRFRAME A&P IS SCHEDULED TO LOOK IT OVER NEXT WK. THE REAL PROB WAS THE PLT'S (MY) FAILURE TO COM WITH HIS PAX, WHO WAS ALSO A PLT AND WAS ACTIVELY OBSERVING MY R WING. I NEVER VERBALLY VERIFIED WHAT I NEEDED FROM MY PAX WHILE NEAR THE HANGAR AND PARKED ACFT. ONCE I CLRED THE HANGAR AND WAS ASSURED OF CLRNC WITH THE PARKED ACFT, I AND MY PAX MENTALLY THOUGHT THE DANGER WAS OVER AND MAY HAVE MENTALLY LET UP. THE PAX IN THE R SEAT WHO HAS CONSIDERABLY MORE TIME THAN I SHARES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INCIDENT, YET IT WAS THROUGH MY INACTION OR FAILURE TO COM MY NEEDS, WHICH LED TO THE DAMAGE OF THE ACFT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT, IF IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND TAKING PRECAUTIONARY ACTION (SLOWING DOWN), IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO SHARE YOUR CONCERN AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN A DIFFICULT SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 237617: AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS PICKING UP THE RADIO MIKE TO TALK TO TFC THAT WAS CALLING IN ON UNICOM. I DID NOT SEE THE POLE NOR THE COLLISION WITH IT. EVEN THOUGH THE PLT OF THE ACFT WAS VERY CAREFUL, HE DID NOT SEE THE POLE BECAUSE ITS COLOR BLENDED IN WITH THE HANGAR'S. THE PROB COULD BE CORRECTED BY PAINTING THE SIGN POST A MORE VISIBLE COLOR OR PUTTING UP A SIGN MARKING THE OBSTRUCTION.

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.