Narrative:

On nov/xa/00, I flew a dhc-2 float plane from the renton, wa, spb (WA47) to the roche harbor, wa, sbv (WA50). After landing, I taxied to the seaplane dock which is on the northwest corner of the dock complex. I have docked a float plane at the same spot on 3 previous occasions. The 250 ft dock is marked with 2 'seaplanes only' signs. I approached the dock at a 30 degree angle with a quartering right 5 KT tailwind, throttle at idle, and 1 magneto off. Nearing the dock, it appeared that there might not be enough clearance between the wingtip and the pilings. I turned away from the dock and then the left wingtip struck one of the signs attached to the pilings. I pulled the mixture off and the airplane pivoted around the wingtip until the toe of the left float struck the dock. The airplane sustained a vertical dent in the left wingtip cap approximately 3 inches long and 1/2 inch deep. Following the incident, I inspected the dock and found that a floating dock extension that had been attached to the seaplane dock to increase its width and provide wingtip clearance from pilings, had been moved to a dock about 500 ft ahead. However, the signs marking the dock had not been removed. Additionally, there was evidence that another float plane had struck the same sign previously. Roche harbor is a public use seaplane base and yet the seaplane docking area is marked deceptively. The seaplane dock had been altered in such a way as to render it unsafe for seaplane operations, but there was no warning provided. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that roche harbor (WA50) is a public seaplane base about 1 hour away from sea. The aircraft was a rental and he had flown this same aircraft to WA50 3 times in the past and had successfully docked at the same spot on all 3 occasions. His habit was to use the first dock that comes into sight during the water taxi. On the day of the incident, the same sign 'seaplanes only,' that he had seen on his previous visits was still clearly visible. As he approached the dock, he suddenly saw a dent on the piling and saw that someone had hit it. Realizing that he, too may hit the piling, he made an evasive attempt to turn away from the dock. He could not overcome the momentum of the aircraft and hit the piling 6 inches above the other dent he had seen. After securing his aircraft, he walked down the pier and saw the floating dock that had previously been connected to the piling he just impacted. A different FBO sign was attached to the floating dock and the reporter surmised that the new owner rearranged the docks without notification to the sea base users. He attempted to contact the harbor master, but the office was closed. He went back to his aircraft to assess the damage and decided that the dent was only on the wing cap and that there was no structural damage. He flew the aircraft back to his FBO and the mechanic concurred with the reporter that the aircraft was still airworthy. He contacted the owner about the damage and was told that his insurance would cover the cost of the repair. The owner also admonished the reporter to never trust signs in the future and to make sure that he can fit before docking. The reporter stated that, especially when flying alone, it is not possible to exit an aircraft to size up the space on a dock before taxiing in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC-2 SEAPLANE ATP RPTED THAT HIS WINGTIP WAS DAMAGED AFTER IMPACTING A DOCK PILING AT W39.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/00, I FLEW A DHC-2 FLOAT PLANE FROM THE RENTON, WA, SPB (WA47) TO THE ROCHE HARBOR, WA, SBV (WA50). AFTER LNDG, I TAXIED TO THE SEAPLANE DOCK WHICH IS ON THE NW CORNER OF THE DOCK COMPLEX. I HAVE DOCKED A FLOAT PLANE AT THE SAME SPOT ON 3 PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. THE 250 FT DOCK IS MARKED WITH 2 'SEAPLANES ONLY' SIGNS. I APCHED THE DOCK AT A 30 DEG ANGLE WITH A QUARTERING R 5 KT TAILWIND, THROTTLE AT IDLE, AND 1 MAGNETO OFF. NEARING THE DOCK, IT APPEARED THAT THERE MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH CLRNC BTWN THE WINGTIP AND THE PILINGS. I TURNED AWAY FROM THE DOCK AND THEN THE L WINGTIP STRUCK ONE OF THE SIGNS ATTACHED TO THE PILINGS. I PULLED THE MIXTURE OFF AND THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED AROUND THE WINGTIP UNTIL THE TOE OF THE L FLOAT STRUCK THE DOCK. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A VERT DENT IN THE L WINGTIP CAP APPROX 3 INCHES LONG AND 1/2 INCH DEEP. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, I INSPECTED THE DOCK AND FOUND THAT A FLOATING DOCK EXTENSION THAT HAD BEEN ATTACHED TO THE SEAPLANE DOCK TO INCREASE ITS WIDTH AND PROVIDE WINGTIP CLRNC FROM PILINGS, HAD BEEN MOVED TO A DOCK ABOUT 500 FT AHEAD. HOWEVER, THE SIGNS MARKING THE DOCK HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT ANOTHER FLOAT PLANE HAD STRUCK THE SAME SIGN PREVIOUSLY. ROCHE HARBOR IS A PUBLIC USE SEAPLANE BASE AND YET THE SEAPLANE DOCKING AREA IS MARKED DECEPTIVELY. THE SEAPLANE DOCK HAD BEEN ALTERED IN SUCH A WAY AS TO RENDER IT UNSAFE FOR SEAPLANE OPS, BUT THERE WAS NO WARNING PROVIDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT ROCHE HARBOR (WA50) IS A PUBLIC SEAPLANE BASE ABOUT 1 HR AWAY FROM SEA. THE ACFT WAS A RENTAL AND HE HAD FLOWN THIS SAME ACFT TO WA50 3 TIMES IN THE PAST AND HAD SUCCESSFULLY DOCKED AT THE SAME SPOT ON ALL 3 OCCASIONS. HIS HABIT WAS TO USE THE FIRST DOCK THAT COMES INTO SIGHT DURING THE WATER TAXI. ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, THE SAME SIGN 'SEAPLANES ONLY,' THAT HE HAD SEEN ON HIS PREVIOUS VISITS WAS STILL CLRLY VISIBLE. AS HE APCHED THE DOCK, HE SUDDENLY SAW A DENT ON THE PILING AND SAW THAT SOMEONE HAD HIT IT. REALIZING THAT HE, TOO MAY HIT THE PILING, HE MADE AN EVASIVE ATTEMPT TO TURN AWAY FROM THE DOCK. HE COULD NOT OVERCOME THE MOMENTUM OF THE ACFT AND HIT THE PILING 6 INCHES ABOVE THE OTHER DENT HE HAD SEEN. AFTER SECURING HIS ACFT, HE WALKED DOWN THE PIER AND SAW THE FLOATING DOCK THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CONNECTED TO THE PILING HE JUST IMPACTED. A DIFFERENT FBO SIGN WAS ATTACHED TO THE FLOATING DOCK AND THE RPTR SURMISED THAT THE NEW OWNER REARRANGED THE DOCKS WITHOUT NOTIFICATION TO THE SEA BASE USERS. HE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE HARBOR MASTER, BUT THE OFFICE WAS CLOSED. HE WENT BACK TO HIS ACFT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND DECIDED THAT THE DENT WAS ONLY ON THE WING CAP AND THAT THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. HE FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO HIS FBO AND THE MECH CONCURRED WITH THE RPTR THAT THE ACFT WAS STILL AIRWORTHY. HE CONTACTED THE OWNER ABOUT THE DAMAGE AND WAS TOLD THAT HIS INSURANCE WOULD COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE OWNER ALSO ADMONISHED THE RPTR TO NEVER TRUST SIGNS IN THE FUTURE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN FIT BEFORE DOCKING. THE RPTR STATED THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN FLYING ALONE, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO EXIT AN ACFT TO SIZE UP THE SPACE ON A DOCK BEFORE TAXIING IN.

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.