Narrative:

I began taxiing my PA-12 to an FBO to complete work on my annual. One of the adjustments left to do was to adjust the idle, which was still too high. When I started taxiing, I had poor control and was unable to prevent touching wing tips with a plane parked across from mine. Damage was minimal and included a 2 inch dent in the leading edge of the other plane, a scratch on the underside to the left wing tip of the other plane, and a broken left red lens on my position light. I believe the causes of this event included first the high idle, which I was en route to fix, and also my poor, old-style 4 inch brakes, which proved ineffective, plus my inexperience and/or experience recently. I could have quickly pulled the mixture and killed the engine, but was still trying to turn the plane, and thought I needed the airflow past the rudder to have any directional control. Also, the fact that I was momentarily distraction by noticing I left on my headlights on my truck didn't help. I returned to my parking spot, inspected the damage, and at the end of the day, left a note for the other pilot, called him at home, and took photographs. This event is not rptable to NTSB or FAA, because I had not intent to fly and damage was limited to dented and scraped skin.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA12 PLT, HIT THE WING TIP OF ANOTHER ACFT AS HE TRIED TO PULL OUT OF HIS PARKING SPACE AT PABE, AK.

Narrative: I BEGAN TAXIING MY PA-12 TO AN FBO TO COMPLETE WORK ON MY ANNUAL. ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS LEFT TO DO WAS TO ADJUST THE IDLE, WHICH WAS STILL TOO HIGH. WHEN I STARTED TAXIING, I HAD POOR CTL AND WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT TOUCHING WING TIPS WITH A PLANE PARKED ACROSS FROM MINE. DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL AND INCLUDED A 2 INCH DENT IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE OTHER PLANE, A SCRATCH ON THE UNDERSIDE TO THE L WING TIP OF THE OTHER PLANE, AND A BROKEN L RED LENS ON MY POS LIGHT. I BELIEVE THE CAUSES OF THIS EVENT INCLUDED FIRST THE HIGH IDLE, WHICH I WAS ENRTE TO FIX, AND ALSO MY POOR, OLD-STYLE 4 INCH BRAKES, WHICH PROVED INEFFECTIVE, PLUS MY INEXPERIENCE AND/OR EXPERIENCE RECENTLY. I COULD HAVE QUICKLY PULLED THE MIXTURE AND KILLED THE ENG, BUT WAS STILL TRYING TO TURN THE PLANE, AND THOUGHT I NEEDED THE AIRFLOW PAST THE RUDDER TO HAVE ANY DIRECTIONAL CTL. ALSO, THE FACT THAT I WAS MOMENTARILY DISTR BY NOTICING I LEFT ON MY HEADLIGHTS ON MY TRUCK DIDN'T HELP. I RETURNED TO MY PARKING SPOT, INSPECTED THE DAMAGE, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, LEFT A NOTE FOR THE OTHER PLT, CALLED HIM AT HOME, AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS. THIS EVENT IS NOT RPTABLE TO NTSB OR FAA, BECAUSE I HAD NOT INTENT TO FLY AND DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO DENTED AND SCRAPED SKIN.

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.