DA20 reports taxi collision with PA28 sitting unattended and partly on taxiway. Reporter is blinded ...

Attributes
ACN	772342
Time
Date	200802
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ffc.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	DA20-C1 Eclipse
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 313 flight time type : 13
ASRS Report	772342
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was taxiing the plane and I crossed the ramp and headed down the back exit. I went around the corner and as I rounded light from the sunset was in my eyes but as soon as I was straight and no longer turning I saw a cherokee hooked to a tow and its wing was protruding from its parking area into the taxiway. I tried to maneuver around the aircraft but it was too late and the wing of the diamond eclipse I was taxiing struck the wing of the cherokee. To prevent anything like this from happening again I think that it should be unlawful for a person to park or tow their plane and leave part of it sticking out onto an active taxiway. I am sure there is already some law for that but other than this being a warning to others who think it would be ok to leave their plane sticking out onto a taxiway for a moment I am not sure what else can be done. Before I started my engines I looked at both exits and took into account the direction I needed to go before I decided to taxi (there was no plane sitting in the way of my taxiing). The operators who moved the plane there said they had just put it there and walked into the hangar to get something.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA20 REPORTS TAXI COLLISION WITH PA28 SITTING UNATTENDED AND PARTLY ON TXWY. REPORTER IS BLINDED BY SETTING SUN AS HE ROUNDS HANGAR AND DOES NOT SEE THE PA28 IN TIME.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING THE PLANE AND I CROSSED THE RAMP AND HEADED DOWN THE BACK EXIT. I WENT AROUND THE CORNER AND AS I ROUNDED LIGHT FROM THE SUNSET WAS IN MY EYES BUT AS SOON AS I WAS STRAIGHT AND NO LONGER TURNING I SAW A CHEROKEE HOOKED TO A TOW AND ITS WING WAS PROTRUDING FROM ITS PARKING AREA INTO THE TXWY. I TRIED TO MANEUVER AROUND THE ACFT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE WING OF THE DIAMOND ECLIPSE I WAS TAXIING STRUCK THE WING OF THE CHEROKEE. TO PREVENT ANYTHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO PARK OR TOW THEIR PLANE AND LEAVE PART OF IT STICKING OUT ONTO AN ACTIVE TXWY. I AM SURE THERE IS ALREADY SOME LAW FOR THAT BUT OTHER THAN THIS BEING A WARNING TO OTHERS WHO THINK IT WOULD BE OK TO LEAVE THEIR PLANE STICKING OUT ONTO A TXWY FOR A MOMENT I AM NOT SURE WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE. BEFORE I STARTED MY ENGS I LOOKED AT BOTH EXITS AND TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE DIRECTION I NEEDED TO GO BEFORE I DECIDED TO TAXI (THERE WAS NO PLANE SITTING IN THE WAY OF MY TAXIING). THE OPERATORS WHO MOVED THE PLANE THERE SAID THEY HAD JUST PUT IT THERE AND WALKED INTO THE HANGAR TO GET SOMETHING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

DA20 reports taxi collision with PA28 sitting unattended and partly on taxiway. Reporter is blinded by setting sun as he rounds hangar and does not see the PA28 in time.