Narrative:

As pilot was taxiing from the taxiway D, he commenced to follow a 'follow me truck.' the pilot stopped to allow a jet aircraft taxi left to right in front of him onto the signature (FBO) ramp and then proceeded to follow the lead vehicle. The pilot was led to the south side of the ramp. The pilot observed a G-4 jet parked in the vicinity near the taxiway. The right wing of the G-4 extended into the marked taxi space on the south side of the ramp. Its right wingtip was only 6-8 ft from the marked yellow taxi line. The pilot was concerned about the possibility of jet blast from the aircraft which had taxied across in front of him and therefore was paying close attention to his activity. The pilot quickly assessed the available space remaining between the wingtip of the G-4 and an open field on the pilot's left where the asphalt ramp end. Decision was made that if the pilot remained toward the left of the ramp, he would avoid the wingtip of the G-4 and the potential jet blast. The sun had recently gone down and visibility was becoming limited, yet, the taxi lights had not illuminated. Pilot failed to see 2 taxiway lights which were mounted approximately 10- 12 ft from the edge of the asphalt on the asphalt side. Pilot did not -perceive any threat from the left therefore most of his attention was to the right to avoid potential jet blast and the nearness of the G-4 wingtip. Pilot's aircraft impacted 1 taxiway light with his left propeller. The pilot feels that an FBO should not park aircraft in such a way as to extend into the taxi space of other aircraft or that guidance system should be such that a lineman would be actively providing taxi guidance to notify the pilot of hazards in a 'tight' taxi situation rather than provide a 'follow me' vehicle.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MANEUVERING TO CLR OTHER PARKED ACFT, RPTR'S ACFT HITS TAXI LIGHT WITH PROP.

Narrative: AS PLT WAS TAXIING FROM THE TXWY D, HE COMMENCED TO FOLLOW A 'FOLLOW ME TRUCK.' THE PLT STOPPED TO ALLOW A JET ACFT TAXI L TO R IN FRONT OF HIM ONTO THE SIGNATURE (FBO) RAMP AND THEN PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE LEAD VEHICLE. THE PLT WAS LED TO THE S SIDE OF THE RAMP. THE PLT OBSERVED A G-4 JET PARKED IN THE VICINITY NEAR THE TXWY. THE R WING OF THE G-4 EXTENDED INTO THE MARKED TAXI SPACE ON THE S SIDE OF THE RAMP. ITS R WINGTIP WAS ONLY 6-8 FT FROM THE MARKED YELLOW TAXI LINE. THE PLT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF JET BLAST FROM THE ACFT WHICH HAD TAXIED ACROSS IN FRONT OF HIM AND THEREFORE WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO HIS ACTIVITY. THE PLT QUICKLY ASSESSED THE AVAILABLE SPACE REMAINING BTWN THE WINGTIP OF THE G-4 AND AN OPEN FIELD ON THE PLT'S L WHERE THE ASPHALT RAMP END. DECISION WAS MADE THAT IF THE PLT REMAINED TOWARD THE L OF THE RAMP, HE WOULD AVOID THE WINGTIP OF THE G-4 AND THE POTENTIAL JET BLAST. THE SUN HAD RECENTLY GONE DOWN AND VISIBILITY WAS BECOMING LIMITED, YET, THE TAXI LIGHTS HAD NOT ILLUMINATED. PLT FAILED TO SEE 2 TXWY LIGHTS WHICH WERE MOUNTED APPROX 10- 12 FT FROM THE EDGE OF THE ASPHALT ON THE ASPHALT SIDE. PLT DID NOT -PERCEIVE ANY THREAT FROM THE L THEREFORE MOST OF HIS ATTN WAS TO THE R TO AVOID POTENTIAL JET BLAST AND THE NEARNESS OF THE G-4 WINGTIP. PLT'S ACFT IMPACTED 1 TXWY LIGHT WITH HIS L PROP. THE PLT FEELS THAT AN FBO SHOULD NOT PARK ACFT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO EXTEND INTO THE TAXI SPACE OF OTHER ACFT OR THAT GUIDANCE SYS SHOULD BE SUCH THAT A LINEMAN WOULD BE ACTIVELY PROVIDING TAXI GUIDANCE TO NOTIFY THE PLT OF HAZARDS IN A 'TIGHT' TAXI SIT RATHER THAN PROVIDE A 'FOLLOW ME' VEHICLE.

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.