Narrative:

2 near misses today. The first one was at crq, where they are installing those beautiful taxiway signs. I love those things -- they help immensely when trying to figure out where I am. Palomar has new blacktop everywhere, with neat taxiway signs in the middle of some very nice pavement. Most airports put them in the grass. I almost took the newest one out -- cleared for takeoff, so I just followed the pavement. I missed the sign, but didn't know it until I saw it go under the right wing (as I turned left onto the runway). I'll take a better look at it next time -- maybe the taxiway stripes are painfully obvious to all but cub drivers lulled into complacency. The sign should have stayed on my left side. I bet somebody will take it out soon! There are still a few taildraggers in the area. The second was at my home airport. Cleared down the taxiway, I was on the centerline. I raised the tail to look ahead, then dropped it to the 3-POINT attitude. The taxiway was mine. I enjoyed a moment's complacency, accented by hanging out the door and looking way out front, and then a glance out the left window. I almost hit a cessna doing ramp maneuvers with his wing overhanging the taxiway. I didn't hit him, but I didn't see him until after the potential impact. My front seat passenger, also a cub pilot, said he was watching him and he was never a real factor, but that's not the point. The point is -- I didn't see him! This kind of thing happens to me when I start to get a little complacent. You cannot see straight ahead out of a cub, and while you won't be catching many other things from behind in the air, ground hazards can really become a threat in a hurry. I'll be on my toes for a while, and delay pasting another runway light decal on the fuselage. And even though hanging out the door is fun, and gives a good view of the taxiway for the most part, the s-turn remains the only safe way to taxi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: J-3 PLT ALMOST HIT A TXWY SIGN AND A C172 WHILE ON THE GND.

Narrative: 2 NEAR MISSES TODAY. THE FIRST ONE WAS AT CRQ, WHERE THEY ARE INSTALLING THOSE BEAUTIFUL TXWY SIGNS. I LOVE THOSE THINGS -- THEY HELP IMMENSELY WHEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE I AM. PALOMAR HAS NEW BLACKTOP EVERYWHERE, WITH NEAT TXWY SIGNS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME VERY NICE PAVEMENT. MOST ARPTS PUT THEM IN THE GRASS. I ALMOST TOOK THE NEWEST ONE OUT -- CLRED FOR TKOF, SO I JUST FOLLOWED THE PAVEMENT. I MISSED THE SIGN, BUT DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL I SAW IT GO UNDER THE R WING (AS I TURNED L ONTO THE RWY). I'LL TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT IT NEXT TIME -- MAYBE THE TXWY STRIPES ARE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO ALL BUT CUB DRIVERS LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY. THE SIGN SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON MY L SIDE. I BET SOMEBODY WILL TAKE IT OUT SOON! THERE ARE STILL A FEW TAILDRAGGERS IN THE AREA. THE SECOND WAS AT MY HOME ARPT. CLRED DOWN THE TXWY, I WAS ON THE CTRLINE. I RAISED THE TAIL TO LOOK AHEAD, THEN DROPPED IT TO THE 3-POINT ATTITUDE. THE TXWY WAS MINE. I ENJOYED A MOMENT'S COMPLACENCY, ACCENTED BY HANGING OUT THE DOOR AND LOOKING WAY OUT FRONT, AND THEN A GLANCE OUT THE L WINDOW. I ALMOST HIT A CESSNA DOING RAMP MANEUVERS WITH HIS WING OVERHANGING THE TXWY. I DIDN'T HIT HIM, BUT I DIDN'T SEE HIM UNTIL AFTER THE POTENTIAL IMPACT. MY FRONT SEAT PAX, ALSO A CUB PLT, SAID HE WAS WATCHING HIM AND HE WAS NEVER A REAL FACTOR, BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT. THE POINT IS -- I DIDN'T SEE HIM! THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS TO ME WHEN I START TO GET A LITTLE COMPLACENT. YOU CANNOT SEE STRAIGHT AHEAD OUT OF A CUB, AND WHILE YOU WON'T BE CATCHING MANY OTHER THINGS FROM BEHIND IN THE AIR, GND HAZARDS CAN REALLY BECOME A THREAT IN A HURRY. I'LL BE ON MY TOES FOR A WHILE, AND DELAY PASTING ANOTHER RWY LIGHT DECAL ON THE FUSELAGE. AND EVEN THOUGH HANGING OUT THE DOOR IS FUN, AND GIVES A GOOD VIEW OF THE TXWY FOR THE MOST PART, THE S-TURN REMAINS THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO TAXI.

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.