Narrative:

I was a pilot rated passenger in an aircraft operated by my company. At first, I climbed into the right seat and put my seat belt on. The pilot climbed in after latching the rear cargo latch on the left side after me and fastened the cockpit door. The pilot then proceeded to do the paperwork and start the aircraft engines (the right one first). After the engines were started the pilot began to taxi. It was apparent something was wrong because he stopped immediately. The rear horizontal stabilizer contacted a truck that was parked by the tail. As a passenger I had no authority/authorized to take the aircraft but I learned a valuable lesson about utilizing all my senses to help anyone else in this situation. I feel I let the fact that I was not flying or even a crew member dull my senses and I could have used a more resourceful approach. I do have more time in the aircraft than the pilot involved, so I could have told him (politely) to check his left side at the tail. At any rate, there was no CRM involved and that could have been prevented.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA31-350 ACFT WITH RPTR PLT AS PAX. AS PLT COMMENCED TAXI, THE ACFT HORIZ STABILIZER HIT A PARKED TRUCK. PAX RPTR, IN HINDSIGHT, SAYS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE AND SUGGESTED THAT THE PLT CHK THE L AFT OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO TAXI.

Narrative: I WAS A PLT RATED PAX IN AN ACFT OPERATED BY MY COMPANY. AT FIRST, I CLBED INTO THE R SEAT AND PUT MY SEAT BELT ON. THE PLT CLBED IN AFTER LATCHING THE REAR CARGO LATCH ON THE L SIDE AFTER ME AND FASTENED THE COCKPIT DOOR. THE PLT THEN PROCEEDED TO DO THE PAPERWORK AND START THE ACFT ENGS (THE R ONE FIRST). AFTER THE ENGS WERE STARTED THE PLT BEGAN TO TAXI. IT WAS APPARENT SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE HE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THE REAR HORIZ STABILIZER CONTACTED A TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED BY THE TAIL. AS A PAX I HAD NO AUTH TO TAKE THE ACFT BUT I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON ABOUT UTILIZING ALL MY SENSES TO HELP ANYONE ELSE IN THIS SIT. I FEEL I LET THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT FLYING OR EVEN A CREW MEMBER DULL MY SENSES AND I COULD HAVE USED A MORE RESOURCEFUL APCH. I DO HAVE MORE TIME IN THE ACFT THAN THE PLT INVOLVED, SO I COULD HAVE TOLD HIM (POLITELY) TO CHK HIS L SIDE AT THE TAIL. AT ANY RATE, THERE WAS NO CRM INVOLVED AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

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.