Narrative:

I flew from vgt to mccarran. I landed on runway 19R. I exited on taxiway south and followed the yellow line around heading north to FBO. Instead of being on a taxiway it appeared that I had entered the taxi route on the ramp which was under construction. I was instructed by ground control to proceed on taxiway east which was directly in front of me. I was unfamiliar with the airport and saw what appeared to be a taxiway in front of me. I proceeded down the 'white line' while talking to ground control. I suddenly was aware of a banging noise on the left side. I looked and realized that the left wing was hitting a construction fence. My nosewheel was still on the white line. Review of the incident revealed that this was actually termed an access road. There were faint unreadable markings 50 ft down the line indicating that it was not a taxiway. The signs to the side of the area were on the wrong side of the fence. I would recommend that for this area with continuing construction that 'X's' be placed on these unsafe access roads at each part that intersects a taxiway. Below is a diagram. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the aircraft received considerable damage. About 5 ft of the wing was torn up, possible spar damage and there is a wrinkle behind the wing on the fuselage. The FAA inspector drove to the site with reporter and agreed that it is easy to make such a mistake since the markings are extremely hard to see. There is also an arrow with a sign 'east' pointing in the general direction of the road. Since the FAA checked the area cardboard and duct tape have been used to cover the arrow. Reporter feels this alone indicates the airport knows they had poor markings and need to take further measures. There is a sign outside the fence that indicates 'do not enter.' as reporter states, a sign on the other side of the fence does apply to those on the inside of the fence. As long as there is so much construction going on and the area is torn up reporter feels strongly that the airport needs to put great big 'X's' on any roads that intersect txwys. One of the people who came into the FBO when reporter was speaking with the FAA inspector indicated this is not the first incident that has occurred in that taxiway road area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMANCHE PLT CONFUSED WHILE TAXIING IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA, ENTERS ROAD INSTEAD OF TXWY. WINGTIP HITS FENCE.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM VGT TO MCCARRAN. I LANDED ON RWY 19R. I EXITED ON TXWY S AND FOLLOWED THE YELLOW LINE AROUND HEADING N TO FBO. INSTEAD OF BEING ON A TXWY IT APPEARED THAT I HAD ENTERED THE TAXI RTE ON THE RAMP WHICH WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL TO PROCEED ON TXWY E WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A TXWY IN FRONT OF ME. I PROCEEDED DOWN THE 'WHITE LINE' WHILE TALKING TO GND CTL. I SUDDENLY WAS AWARE OF A BANGING NOISE ON THE L SIDE. I LOOKED AND REALIZED THAT THE L WING WAS HITTING A CONSTRUCTION FENCE. MY NOSEWHEEL WAS STILL ON THE WHITE LINE. REVIEW OF THE INCIDENT REVEALED THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY TERMED AN ACCESS ROAD. THERE WERE FAINT UNREADABLE MARKINGS 50 FT DOWN THE LINE INDICATING THAT IT WAS NOT A TXWY. THE SIGNS TO THE SIDE OF THE AREA WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FENCE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT FOR THIS AREA WITH CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION THAT 'X'S' BE PLACED ON THESE UNSAFE ACCESS ROADS AT EACH PART THAT INTERSECTS A TXWY. BELOW IS A DIAGRAM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. ABOUT 5 FT OF THE WING WAS TORN UP, POSSIBLE SPAR DAMAGE AND THERE IS A WRINKLE BEHIND THE WING ON THE FUSELAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR DROVE TO THE SITE WITH RPTR AND AGREED THAT IT IS EASY TO MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE SINCE THE MARKINGS ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO SEE. THERE IS ALSO AN ARROW WITH A SIGN 'E' POINTING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE ROAD. SINCE THE FAA CHKED THE AREA CARDBOARD AND DUCT TAPE HAVE BEEN USED TO COVER THE ARROW. RPTR FEELS THIS ALONE INDICATES THE ARPT KNOWS THEY HAD POOR MARKINGS AND NEED TO TAKE FURTHER MEASURES. THERE IS A SIGN OUTSIDE THE FENCE THAT INDICATES 'DO NOT ENTER.' AS RPTR STATES, A SIGN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE DOES APPLY TO THOSE ON THE INSIDE OF THE FENCE. AS LONG AS THERE IS SO MUCH CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AND THE AREA IS TORN UP RPTR FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE ARPT NEEDS TO PUT GREAT BIG 'X'S' ON ANY ROADS THAT INTERSECT TXWYS. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME INTO THE FBO WHEN RPTR WAS SPEAKING WITH THE FAA INSPECTOR INDICATED THIS IS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THAT TXWY ROAD AREA.

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.