Narrative:

In the morning of jan/wed/95 at approximately XA40, I finished a preflight inspection on the beechcraft baron B-58 which I was assigned for this flight. This was to be flight en route to columbus, GA, with a load of checks on board. While loading the aircraft, I noticed that visibility appeared to be deteriorating very quickly and that it was currently less than 1 mi. At the time the official report stated that it was 1 mi with fog. That observation was taken at XA50 EST. In an effort to quickly depart before the visibility dropped below takeoff minimums (3/4 mi for this airport), I hurried and loaded the aircraft and proceeded to also wipe the front, left and right windows before getting in the aircraft as these windows had a heavy accumulation of dew on them. Due to the high humidity and fog, I could not completely remove all the water from the windows. However, in my opinion the windows provided good visibility at the time I finished wiping them down. I contacted ground control and received taxi clearance to runway 32. I left the ramp via taxiway D, then made a left turn onto taxiway a. As I was approaching the old FSS building near taxiway C, I noticed that the windows were beginning to condense moisture on the outside. I next made a right turn onto taxiway C and proceeded due east. As I made the turn, the combination of the sun, the dew on the window, and the low taxi visibility (approximately 1/4 mi in fog at the runup area according to my estimate) made forward vision very difficult. To compensate for the lack of forward vision, I began to use the left taxiway edge by mainly looking out the 'storm window.' I also attempted to wipe off the windscreen with my hand, but could only clear a small section on the left side of the window. Based on knowledge of the ground area, I knew that I was approaching the runway ILS hold short lines. As soon as I saw the hold short lines I decided to start a right turn into the runup area to do my pretkof checklist. Unfortunately, I could not see very well from approximately the 12 O'clock position to 4 O'clock position of the aircraft. Shortly thereafter I felt the collision which I initially thought to be with a taxiway light. I immediately shut down and investigated the source of the collision. To my dismay, as I opened the cabin door, I noticed that my right wing had struck the left side of a piper navajo that was parked at the runup area. Fortunately, the damage was minor and there were no injuries. I believe that the main factor in causing this collision was my lack of judgement and continuing to taxi when I could barely see. I should not have turned in the direction that I had no visibility at all and at the same time assumed that there was no one else out there. Contributing factors are the fact that ground control never advised me that there was another aircraft in the runup area given the low visibility. Supplemental information from acn 293577: craig ground cleared to taxi to runway 32. Parked the airplane in the eastern corner of the runup area of taxiway C at a 45 degree angle, approximately 50 ft from taxiway C movement area, to do a normal engine and system test. While still parked, a red beech baron approached from our 7-8 O'clock position and hit us. Note: windows on aircraft were wiped off during the preflight, but were fogged over again, during taxi. Could see fine while taxiing east out of FBO. When turned right onto taxiway, facing into morning sun, it obscured my forward vision through the windshield. Stopped the airplane on the taxiway and turned on the windshield heat and defroster, waited less than 30 seconds, it cleared, and the taxi to runway 32 was continued. The aircraft that hit us was taxiing directly into the sun and his window was still fogged over during impact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC ACCIDENT INCIDENT.

Narrative: IN THE MORNING OF JAN/WED/95 AT APPROX XA40, I FINISHED A PREFLT INSPECTION ON THE BEECHCRAFT BARON B-58 WHICH I WAS ASSIGNED FOR THIS FLT. THIS WAS TO BE FLT ENRTE TO COLUMBUS, GA, WITH A LOAD OF CHKS ON BOARD. WHILE LOADING THE ACFT, I NOTICED THAT VISIBILITY APPEARED TO BE DETERIORATING VERY QUICKLY AND THAT IT WAS CURRENTLY LESS THAN 1 MI. AT THE TIME THE OFFICIAL RPT STATED THAT IT WAS 1 MI WITH FOG. THAT OBSERVATION WAS TAKEN AT XA50 EST. IN AN EFFORT TO QUICKLY DEPART BEFORE THE VISIBILITY DROPPED BELOW TKOF MINIMUMS (3/4 MI FOR THIS ARPT), I HURRIED AND LOADED THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED TO ALSO WIPE THE FRONT, L AND R WINDOWS BEFORE GETTING IN THE ACFT AS THESE WINDOWS HAD A HVY ACCUMULATION OF DEW ON THEM. DUE TO THE HIGH HUMIDITY AND FOG, I COULD NOT COMPLETELY REMOVE ALL THE WATER FROM THE WINDOWS. HOWEVER, IN MY OPINION THE WINDOWS PROVIDED GOOD VISIBILITY AT THE TIME I FINISHED WIPING THEM DOWN. I CONTACTED GND CTL AND RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 32. I LEFT THE RAMP VIA TXWY D, THEN MADE A L TURN ONTO TXWY A. AS I WAS APCHING THE OLD FSS BUILDING NEAR TXWY C, I NOTICED THAT THE WINDOWS WERE BEGINNING TO CONDENSE MOISTURE ON THE OUTSIDE. I NEXT MADE A R TURN ONTO TXWY C AND PROCEEDED DUE E. AS I MADE THE TURN, THE COMBINATION OF THE SUN, THE DEW ON THE WINDOW, AND THE LOW TAXI VISIBILITY (APPROX 1/4 MI IN FOG AT THE RUNUP AREA ACCORDING TO MY ESTIMATE) MADE FORWARD VISION VERY DIFFICULT. TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LACK OF FORWARD VISION, I BEGAN TO USE THE L TXWY EDGE BY MAINLY LOOKING OUT THE 'STORM WINDOW.' I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO WIPE OFF THE WINDSCREEN WITH MY HAND, BUT COULD ONLY CLR A SMALL SECTION ON THE L SIDE OF THE WINDOW. BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE GND AREA, I KNEW THAT I WAS APCHING THE RWY ILS HOLD SHORT LINES. AS SOON AS I SAW THE HOLD SHORT LINES I DECIDED TO START A R TURN INTO THE RUNUP AREA TO DO MY PRETKOF CHKLIST. UNFORTUNATELY, I COULD NOT SEE VERY WELL FROM APPROX THE 12 O'CLOCK POS TO 4 O'CLOCK POS OF THE ACFT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I FELT THE COLLISION WHICH I INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE WITH A TXWY LIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND INVESTIGATED THE SOURCE OF THE COLLISION. TO MY DISMAY, AS I OPENED THE CABIN DOOR, I NOTICED THAT MY R WING HAD STRUCK THE L SIDE OF A PIPER NAVAJO THAT WAS PARKED AT THE RUNUP AREA. FORTUNATELY, THE DAMAGE WAS MINOR AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAIN FACTOR IN CAUSING THIS COLLISION WAS MY LACK OF JUDGEMENT AND CONTINUING TO TAXI WHEN I COULD BARELY SEE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED IN THE DIRECTION THAT I HAD NO VISIBILITY AT ALL AND AT THE SAME TIME ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE OUT THERE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE THE FACT THAT GND CTL NEVER ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT IN THE RUNUP AREA GIVEN THE LOW VISIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 293577: CRAIG GND CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 32. PARKED THE AIRPLANE IN THE EASTERN CORNER OF THE RUNUP AREA OF TXWY C AT A 45 DEG ANGLE, APPROX 50 FT FROM TXWY C MOVEMENT AREA, TO DO A NORMAL ENG AND SYS TEST. WHILE STILL PARKED, A RED BEECH BARON APCHED FROM OUR 7-8 O'CLOCK POS AND HIT US. NOTE: WINDOWS ON ACFT WERE WIPED OFF DURING THE PREFLT, BUT WERE FOGGED OVER AGAIN, DURING TAXI. COULD SEE FINE WHILE TAXIING E OUT OF FBO. WHEN TURNED R ONTO TXWY, FACING INTO MORNING SUN, IT OBSCURED MY FORWARD VISION THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ON THE TXWY AND TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD HEAT AND DEFROSTER, WAITED LESS THAN 30 SECONDS, IT CLRED, AND THE TAXI TO RWY 32 WAS CONTINUED. THE ACFT THAT HIT US WAS TAXIING DIRECTLY INTO THE SUN AND HIS WINDOW WAS STILL FOGGED OVER DURING IMPACT.

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.