Pilot of a government fgt, T38, caused damage to a parked C170 when he used power to taxi from parki...

Attributes
ACN	377467
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Talon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	377467
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Walkaround preflight normal. Crowded ramp but not abnormally so. Startup normal. Taxi out, remember using slightly higher power to get rolling (approximately 70-75%) now believe this caused by soft ramp (hot day or two at bfi and asphalt surface). Evidently another T38 departed the day prior and had similar difficulties. Later learned that a C170 was parked 100-150 ft behind us perpendicular to our aircraft (this is a taildragger). It was chocked but not tied down and parked next to a fence. Evidently the higher thrust required to roll produced enough force to swing the C170's tail into the fence damaging the left horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer and control surfaces. My list of causes: C170 parked behind a jet exhaust and chocked but not tied down. Soft ramp not capable of supporting our high footprint loads on a hot day. Higher power setting required to roll aircraft. Who to blame (there's enough to go around). Crew: could have ensured area clear behind aircraft (but 150 ft seems excessive). Ground crew: should not have parked C170 behind a jet. C170 pilot: should have tied down his aircraft. FBO/airport: make sure ramp is sufficient to support heavy footprint aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A GOV FGT, T38, CAUSED DAMAGE TO A PARKED C170 WHEN HE USED PWR TO TAXI FROM PARKING.

Narrative: WALKAROUND PREFLT NORMAL. CROWDED RAMP BUT NOT ABNORMALLY SO. STARTUP NORMAL. TAXI OUT, REMEMBER USING SLIGHTLY HIGHER PWR TO GET ROLLING (APPROX 70-75%) NOW BELIEVE THIS CAUSED BY SOFT RAMP (HOT DAY OR TWO AT BFI AND ASPHALT SURFACE). EVIDENTLY ANOTHER T38 DEPARTED THE DAY PRIOR AND HAD SIMILAR DIFFICULTIES. LATER LEARNED THAT A C170 WAS PARKED 100-150 FT BEHIND US PERPENDICULAR TO OUR ACFT (THIS IS A TAILDRAGGER). IT WAS CHOCKED BUT NOT TIED DOWN AND PARKED NEXT TO A FENCE. EVIDENTLY THE HIGHER THRUST REQUIRED TO ROLL PRODUCED ENOUGH FORCE TO SWING THE C170'S TAIL INTO THE FENCE DAMAGING THE L HORIZ STABILIZER, VERT STABILIZER AND CTL SURFACES. MY LIST OF CAUSES: C170 PARKED BEHIND A JET EXHAUST AND CHOCKED BUT NOT TIED DOWN. SOFT RAMP NOT CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING OUR HIGH FOOTPRINT LOADS ON A HOT DAY. HIGHER PWR SETTING REQUIRED TO ROLL ACFT. WHO TO BLAME (THERE'S ENOUGH TO GO AROUND). CREW: COULD HAVE ENSURED AREA CLR BEHIND ACFT (BUT 150 FT SEEMS EXCESSIVE). GND CREW: SHOULD NOT HAVE PARKED C170 BEHIND A JET. C170 PLT: SHOULD HAVE TIED DOWN HIS ACFT. FBO/ARPT: MAKE SURE RAMP IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT HVY FOOTPRINT ACFT.

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.

Pilot of a government fgt, T38, caused damage to a parked C170 when he used power to taxi from parking.