Narrative:

When we had arrived 4 days prior, my friend was flying and the field where we tied down was empty. Now, upon departure, the field was full of airplanes parked in rows. I was to taxi out of the parking space, turn left onto the grassy taxiway, and taxi past approximately 10 airplanes on each side toward the departure runway. Ours was the first airplane in our area to begin taxiing that morning, and we were anxious to get going. We were also interested in following the departure procedure as described in the NOTAM. Therefore, my passenger was already busy with the NOTAM and setting the radios to ATIS, ground, and tower frequencys. The grassy area where I was to taxi had a very slight slope to the right, so probably for this reason I subconsciously kept the airplane to the left. I taxied past 1 airplane, then my left wingtip impacted the of the second parked airplane. Thinking back on the time immediately before the collision, my thoughts were on getting an early start before the WX worsened, the possibly complicated taxi routing to the departure runway, and general oshkosh excitement. Things I should have done include: take a good look at the width of each grassy taxiway. The one behind our parked airplane was wider than the one in from of it, so I could have pushed back into the wider taxiway instead of taxiing forward into the narrower one. I should have had 'big flags go off' whenever taxiing on anything other than a paved surface with a yellow centerline. I should have been watching my wingtips when taxiing, not just straight ahead. I should have realized that when taxiing, there is just as much danger of hitting something with the far ends of the wings as with the fuselage. I should have asked for someone to talk my wings down the grassy taxiway until I got to a more open area. I should have asked my PA to keep his eyes outside the airplane to help me taxi safely. Summary contributing factors: narrow grassy taxiway with slight slope to the right. Other pilot had taxied into the area which had been empty but was now full. Lack of experience in taxiing anywhere other than a controled airport environment. Failure to consider using the wider taxiway behind me. Failure to check wingtips for obstacle clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT, TAXIING FOR TKOF AT OSH, STRUCK ANOTHER ACFT WITH A WINGTIP.

Narrative: WHEN WE HAD ARRIVED 4 DAYS PRIOR, MY FRIEND WAS FLYING AND THE FIELD WHERE WE TIED DOWN WAS EMPTY. NOW, UPON DEP, THE FIELD WAS FULL OF AIRPLANES PARKED IN ROWS. I WAS TO TAXI OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, TURN L ONTO THE GRASSY TXWY, AND TAXI PAST APPROX 10 AIRPLANES ON EACH SIDE TOWARD THE DEP RWY. OURS WAS THE FIRST AIRPLANE IN OUR AREA TO BEGIN TAXIING THAT MORNING, AND WE WERE ANXIOUS TO GET GOING. WE WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING THE DEP PROC AS DESCRIBED IN THE NOTAM. THEREFORE, MY PAX WAS ALREADY BUSY WITH THE NOTAM AND SETTING THE RADIOS TO ATIS, GND, AND TWR FREQS. THE GRASSY AREA WHERE I WAS TO TAXI HAD A VERY SLIGHT SLOPE TO THE R, SO PROBABLY FOR THIS REASON I SUBCONSCIOUSLY KEPT THE AIRPLANE TO THE L. I TAXIED PAST 1 AIRPLANE, THEN MY L WINGTIP IMPACTED THE OF THE SECOND PARKED AIRPLANE. THINKING BACK ON THE TIME IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE COLLISION, MY THOUGHTS WERE ON GETTING AN EARLY START BEFORE THE WX WORSENED, THE POSSIBLY COMPLICATED TAXI ROUTING TO THE DEP RWY, AND GENERAL OSHKOSH EXCITEMENT. THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE INCLUDE: TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE WIDTH OF EACH GRASSY TXWY. THE ONE BEHIND OUR PARKED AIRPLANE WAS WIDER THAN THE ONE IN FROM OF IT, SO I COULD HAVE PUSHED BACK INTO THE WIDER TXWY INSTEAD OF TAXIING FORWARD INTO THE NARROWER ONE. I SHOULD HAVE HAD 'BIG FLAGS GO OFF' WHENEVER TAXIING ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PAVED SURFACE WITH A YELLOW CTRLINE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING MY WINGTIPS WHEN TAXIING, NOT JUST STRAIGHT AHEAD. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WHEN TAXIING, THERE IS JUST AS MUCH DANGER OF HITTING SOMETHING WITH THE FAR ENDS OF THE WINGS AS WITH THE FUSELAGE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO TALK MY WINGS DOWN THE GRASSY TXWY UNTIL I GOT TO A MORE OPEN AREA. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MY PA TO KEEP HIS EYES OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE TO HELP ME TAXI SAFELY. SUMMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: NARROW GRASSY TXWY WITH SLIGHT SLOPE TO THE R. OTHER PLT HAD TAXIED INTO THE AREA WHICH HAD BEEN EMPTY BUT WAS NOW FULL. LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TAXIING ANYWHERE OTHER THAN A CTLED ARPT ENVIRONMENT. FAILURE TO CONSIDER USING THE WIDER TXWY BEHIND ME. FAILURE TO CHECK WINGTIPS FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC.

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.