What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On the evening of Wednesday, December 8th 2004, at approximately 7:55 a falcon 50, N544RA, struck a 10 foot black metal pole in the middle of the intersection of taxiways yankee and papa at the Syracuse international airport. The pile is a target device used by the sensis company and is part of a ground radar project, asd-x radar, being tested at the Syracuse airport. Earlier, Syracuse city operations personnel had escorted the sensis employees out to the taxiway and left them to do a field condition report. The city operations person told the air traffic controller both prior to escorting the sensis personnel and after leaving them on the field that men and equipment were working on the taxiway and would give way to aircraft. The air traffic controller cleared N544RA to taxi from exec air to runway 28 without warning the aircraft about the men and equipment working on the taxiway. This took the aircraft east on taxiway yankee where the two sensis employees were doing their testing. N544RA followed two F-16 aircraft on the taxiway "y". The two F-16S turned into the air national guard ramp prior to the testing area. The falcon 50 continued straight. The pilot said that he saw a pipe in the middle of the taxiway but it was too late to avoid it. The aircraft struck the pole, bending the #2 pitot tube and putting a dent into the right leading edge. The aircraft was ferried to battle creek international airport in kalamazoo, Michigan to undergo repair. The weather was not a factor, all pavements were bare and dry, no precipitation, but it was at night.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON THE EVENING OF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:55 A FALCON 50, N544RA, STRUCK A 10 FOOT BLACK METAL POLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAYS YANKEE AND PAPA AT THE SYRACUSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE PILE IS A TARGET DEVICE USED BY THE SENSIS COMPANY AND IS PART OF A GROUND RADAR PROJECT, ASD-X RADAR, BEING TESTED AT THE SYRACUSE AIRPORT. EARLIER, SYRACUSE CITY OPERATIONS PERSONNEL HAD ESCORTED THE SENSIS EMPLOYEES OUT TO THE TAXIWAY AND LEFT THEM TO DO A FIELD CONDITION REPORT. THE CITY OPERATIONS PERSON TOLD THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER BOTH PRIOR TO ESCORTING THE SENSIS PERSONNEL AND AFTER LEAVING THEM ON THE FIELD THAT MEN AND EQUIPMENT WERE WORKING ON THE TAXIWAY AND WOULD GIVE WAY TO AIRCRAFT. THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER CLEARED N544RA TO TAXI FROM EXEC AIR TO RUNWAY 28 WITHOUT WARNING THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT THE MEN AND EQUIPMENT WORKING ON THE TAXIWAY. THIS TOOK THE AIRCRAFT EAST ON TAXIWAY YANKEE WHERE THE TWO SENSIS EMPLOYEES WERE DOING THEIR TESTING. N544RA FOLLOWED TWO F-16 AIRCRAFT ON THE TAXIWAY "Y". THE TWO F-16S TURNED INTO THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD RAMP PRIOR TO THE TESTING AREA. THE FALCON 50 CONTINUED STRAIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE SAW A PIPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TAXIWAY BUT IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID IT. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE POLE, BENDING THE #2 PITOT TUBE AND PUTTING A DENT INTO THE RIGHT LEADING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED TO BATTLE CREEK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN TO UNDERGO REPAIR. THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR, ALL PAVEMENTS WERE BARE AND DRY, NO PRECIPITATION, BUT IT WAS AT NIGHT.