Narrative:

We had rain on top of snow most of the day. This caused significant ground fog once the sun set. The truck I was driving sits higher than most of our other trucks and I realized the next day the windshield was dirty on the inside from smokers. Something I could not see in the dark and fog. I had been working on one of our turboprops without much success. A problem had been reported with the de-ice boot system and I could not find anything wrong. The flight was already delayed. I was upset over the whole day. I was having a 'bad' day. Every callout to an aircraft was not what it seemed. I had made several trips back to the shop to get tools that I should have had with me in the first place. After my last trip out to the aircraft I was working on, my supervisor drove up and asked me if I had cut off one of our jets coming into the gates. My response was 'what jet?' he said one of the pilots reported I had cut them off coming in to the gate. I never saw the aircraft. I am sure it was lost in the fog, the backgnd and the haze of the windshield. Complicating factors: I was probably only looking at the r-hand wingtip of a gray and dark blue regional jet against a dark brown building or another much larger jet (B747, B777, B767) of the same color scheme. Additionally, the pilots usually turn off the taxi lights just prior to turning in to the gate. The pilot also mentioned I was moving at a pretty good clip. I may have been exceeding the speed limit of 25 mph a little. However, even when we are doing the speed limit, our vehicles are much faster than the 15 mph speed limited tugs they are used to seeing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TECHNICIAN DRIVING A TRUCK EXCEEDING THE SPD LIMIT IN DARKNESS WITH RAIN AND GND FOG CUT OFF A CANADAIR CL-65 TURNING IN TO A GATE.

Narrative: WE HAD RAIN ON TOP OF SNOW MOST OF THE DAY. THIS CAUSED SIGNIFICANT GND FOG ONCE THE SUN SET. THE TRUCK I WAS DRIVING SITS HIGHER THAN MOST OF OUR OTHER TRUCKS AND I REALIZED THE NEXT DAY THE WINDSHIELD WAS DIRTY ON THE INSIDE FROM SMOKERS. SOMETHING I COULD NOT SEE IN THE DARK AND FOG. I HAD BEEN WORKING ON ONE OF OUR TURBOPROPS WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS. A PROB HAD BEEN RPTED WITH THE DE-ICE BOOT SYS AND I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE FLT WAS ALREADY DELAYED. I WAS UPSET OVER THE WHOLE DAY. I WAS HAVING A 'BAD' DAY. EVERY CALLOUT TO AN ACFT WAS NOT WHAT IT SEEMED. I HAD MADE SEVERAL TRIPS BACK TO THE SHOP TO GET TOOLS THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD WITH ME IN THE FIRST PLACE. AFTER MY LAST TRIP OUT TO THE ACFT I WAS WORKING ON, MY SUPVR DROVE UP AND ASKED ME IF I HAD CUT OFF ONE OF OUR JETS COMING INTO THE GATES. MY RESPONSE WAS 'WHAT JET?' HE SAID ONE OF THE PLTS RPTED I HAD CUT THEM OFF COMING IN TO THE GATE. I NEVER SAW THE ACFT. I AM SURE IT WAS LOST IN THE FOG, THE BACKGND AND THE HAZE OF THE WINDSHIELD. COMPLICATING FACTORS: I WAS PROBABLY ONLY LOOKING AT THE R-HAND WINGTIP OF A GRAY AND DARK BLUE REGIONAL JET AGAINST A DARK BROWN BUILDING OR ANOTHER MUCH LARGER JET (B747, B777, B767) OF THE SAME COLOR SCHEME. ADDITIONALLY, THE PLTS USUALLY TURN OFF THE TAXI LIGHTS JUST PRIOR TO TURNING IN TO THE GATE. THE PLT ALSO MENTIONED I WAS MOVING AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP. I MAY HAVE BEEN EXCEEDING THE SPD LIMIT OF 25 MPH A LITTLE. HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN WE ARE DOING THE SPD LIMIT, OUR VEHICLES ARE MUCH FASTER THAN THE 15 MPH SPD LIMITED TUGS THEY ARE USED TO SEEING.

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.