Small aircraft taxiing at night has wingtip hit fuel truck.

Attributes
ACN	255526
Time
Date	199310
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 193 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	255526
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

3 friends and I went on a local night flight VFR. I am instrument rated with 194 hours. On this night we toured over washington, dc, and headed for bwi airport. As I reached bwi airport, we began having radio troubles, so I decided to land real quick to check it out. The #1 radio had failed, but #2 radio was fine. After landing tower told me to pull into FBO. My intention was to get a radio check and takeoff again. As I taxied toward FBO a man was pointing to the right. So I turned right where a van with blinking hazard was to go ahead of me. I then pulled onto the taxi line and slowly followed the van. Confused at where the van was going, I started tuning in FBO into radio #2. I obviously did not notice the fuel truck on the left, my left wing clipped the fuel truck. So I shut down and waited for the proper auths. I truly believe if the fuel truck was not encroaching the taxi path this would not have happened. I as a pilot should have paid more attention to what was happening outside and not play with the radio. This incident has taught me a lot about pay attention and also about taxi line. Taxi lines are not 100 percent safe of obstacles.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TAXIING AT NIGHT HAS WINGTIP HIT FUEL TRUCK.

Narrative: 3 FRIENDS AND I WENT ON A LCL NIGHT FLT VFR. I AM INST RATED WITH 194 HRS. ON THIS NIGHT WE TOURED OVER WASHINGTON, DC, AND HEADED FOR BWI ARPT. AS I REACHED BWI ARPT, WE BEGAN HAVING RADIO TROUBLES, SO I DECIDED TO LAND REAL QUICK TO CHK IT OUT. THE #1 RADIO HAD FAILED, BUT #2 RADIO WAS FINE. AFTER LNDG TWR TOLD ME TO PULL INTO FBO. MY INTENTION WAS TO GET A RADIO CHK AND TKOF AGAIN. AS I TAXIED TOWARD FBO A MAN WAS POINTING TO THE R. SO I TURNED R WHERE A VAN WITH BLINKING HAZARD WAS TO GO AHEAD OF ME. I THEN PULLED ONTO THE TAXI LINE AND SLOWLY FOLLOWED THE VAN. CONFUSED AT WHERE THE VAN WAS GOING, I STARTED TUNING IN FBO INTO RADIO #2. I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT NOTICE THE FUEL TRUCK ON THE L, MY L WING CLIPPED THE FUEL TRUCK. SO I SHUT DOWN AND WAITED FOR THE PROPER AUTHS. I TRULY BELIEVE IF THE FUEL TRUCK WAS NOT ENCROACHING THE TAXI PATH THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I AS A PLT SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING OUTSIDE AND NOT PLAY WITH THE RADIO. THIS INCIDENT HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT PAY ATTN AND ALSO ABOUT TAXI LINE. TAXI LINES ARE NOT 100 PERCENT SAFE OF OBSTACLES.

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.