Air cargo flight hits taxiway light on taxi to takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	289857
Time
Date	199411
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
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	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1474 flight time type : 65
ASRS Report	289857
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was taxied into taxi light. Contributing factors -- windshield was difficult to see through due to condensation. It had been wiped clean in preflight, but some moisture had recondensed. Also, just prior to the occurrence, the pilot was setting the navigation radios. The first set of lights in the display failed to illuminate (causing '116.40' to read '16.40'). This drew the pilot's attention into the cockpit right when the aircraft left the taxiway and struck the light. The strike was discovered when the aircraft landed at executive airport in orlando. Human factors - - the pilot flies scheduled cargo and would feel some pressure to fly quickly to get the cargo to its destination. This could lead to time-saving measures such as configuring the aircraft during taxi that normally would not occur on a leisure flight. At the time of the strike, the pilot was not sure anything had occurred, so he (I) continued the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARGO FLT HITS TXWY LIGHT ON TAXI TO TKOF.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TAXIED INTO TAXI LIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- WINDSHIELD WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH DUE TO CONDENSATION. IT HAD BEEN WIPED CLEAN IN PREFLT, BUT SOME MOISTURE HAD RECONDENSED. ALSO, JUST PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE, THE PLT WAS SETTING THE NAV RADIOS. THE FIRST SET OF LIGHTS IN THE DISPLAY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE (CAUSING '116.40' TO READ '16.40'). THIS DREW THE PLT'S ATTN INTO THE COCKPIT RIGHT WHEN THE ACFT LEFT THE TXWY AND STRUCK THE LIGHT. THE STRIKE WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE ACFT LANDED AT EXECUTIVE ARPT IN ORLANDO. HUMAN FACTORS - - THE PLT FLIES SCHEDULED CARGO AND WOULD FEEL SOME PRESSURE TO FLY QUICKLY TO GET THE CARGO TO ITS DEST. THIS COULD LEAD TO TIME-SAVING MEASURES SUCH AS CONFIGURING THE ACFT DURING TAXI THAT NORMALLY WOULD NOT OCCUR ON A LEISURE FLT. AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE, THE PLT WAS NOT SURE ANYTHING HAD OCCURRED, SO HE (I) CONTINUED THE FLT.

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.