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Pilot of an small aircraft sel atx frt aircraft inadvertently taxied into an elevated helipad in an FBO ramp area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 252207 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199309 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : det |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 90 |
| ASRS Report | 252207 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : ground |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
While taxiing to active runway I struck a mobile helipad, which resulted in damage to the propeller. I could not see the helipad over the nose of the aircraft. It was parked in an area with a high concentration of GA activity. The helipad sat about 10 inches above the ground. It was unmarked and difficult to see from the cockpit. As I received instructions to taxi I remember looking in the direction that I had to taxi. I remember looking out and thinking 'all clear' meaning that there was nothing to obstruct my taxi out. I began taxiing at a slow rate and reverified my clearance. As I was doing this, I struck the helipad which resulted in bent propeller tips. I could not understand why they would place a difficult to see object that presents such a hazard to taxiing out aircraft in that area. Many aircraft have limited forward and downward visibility to low lying objects as they taxi, which makes it difficult for the pilot to see such objects. I suggested to FBO to move it to a different place away from GA parking.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ATX FRT ACFT INADVERTENTLY TAXIED INTO AN ELEVATED HELIPAD IN AN FBO RAMP AREA.
Narrative: WHILE TAXIING TO ACTIVE RWY I STRUCK A MOBILE HELIPAD, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE PROP. I COULD NOT SEE THE HELIPAD OVER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. IT WAS PARKED IN AN AREA WITH A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF GA ACTIVITY. THE HELIPAD SAT ABOUT 10 INCHES ABOVE THE GND. IT WAS UNMARKED AND DIFFICULT TO SEE FROM THE COCKPIT. AS I RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI I REMEMBER LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION THAT I HAD TO TAXI. I REMEMBER LOOKING OUT AND THINKING 'ALL CLR' MEANING THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO OBSTRUCT MY TAXI OUT. I BEGAN TAXIING AT A SLOW RATE AND REVERIFIED MY CLRNC. AS I WAS DOING THIS, I STRUCK THE HELIPAD WHICH RESULTED IN BENT PROP TIPS. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULD PLACE A DIFFICULT TO SEE OBJECT THAT PRESENTS SUCH A HAZARD TO TAXIING OUT ACFT IN THAT AREA. MANY ACFT HAVE LIMITED FORWARD AND DOWNWARD VISIBILITY TO LOW LYING OBJECTS AS THEY TAXI, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE PLT TO SEE SUCH OBJECTS. I SUGGESTED TO FBO TO MOVE IT TO A DIFFERENT PLACE AWAY FROM GA 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.