What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Thursday, 28th April 2011 the pilot was flying a company trip. He landed at Bay Minette, AL to pick up a passenger on company business. He had not been into Bay Minette in some time he was not aware that the FBO had moved to the western end of the field, and proceeded to the old spot which is now a flight school. He parked facing east between a chain link fence and a row of airplanes. He could see that the parking area was a cul-de-sac, with an open area ahead which extended to the left past a chain link fence (which took a 90 degree turn to proceed). After picking up the passenger, he started engines and taxied forward to clear the fence on the left so he could swing left to make a 180 degree turn to the right and exit the way he came in. The pilot was observing the clearance to the right in order to miss the aircraft parked there. When he looked to the left to check the clearance of the fence he saw that he was clear and turned to the left, which had the effect of pivoting the wingtip backwards. The clearance was now gone, because when he started taxing forward the aircraft contacted the fence post and damaged the wingtip. He stopped the aircraft to see the damage. A mechanic approached and the pilot asked him, what he thought of the damage, I.e., could the aircraft fly safely? The mechanic replied that "it would be the pilots call." The pilot surveyed the damage and determined visually that the aircraft had no structural damage, only what the pilot considered to be cosmetic damage to the metal of the wingtip. He used his judgement of 42 years experience as a professional pilot and over 15,000 hours flight time to determine that it could fly safely until repairs could be performed.
As the FAA filed it
ON THURSDAY, 28TH APRIL 2011 THE PILOT WAS FLYING A COMPANY TRIP. HE LANDED AT BAY MINETTE, AL TO PICK UP A PASSENGER ON COMPANY BUSINESS. HE HAD NOT BEEN INTO BAY MINETTE IN SOME TIME HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE FBO HAD MOVED TO THE WESTERN END OF THE FIELD, AND PROCEEDED TO THE OLD SPOT WHICH IS NOW A FLIGHT SCHOOL. HE PARKED FACING EAST BETWEEN A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND A ROW OF AIRPLANES. HE COULD SEE THAT THE PARKING AREA WAS A CUL-DE-SAC, WITH AN OPEN AREA AHEAD WHICH EXTENDED TO THE LEFT PAST A CHAIN LINK FENCE (WHICH TOOK A 90 DEGREE TURN TO PROCEED). AFTER PICKING UP THE PASSENGER, HE STARTED ENGINES AND TAXIED FORWARD TO CLEAR THE FENCE ON THE LEFT SO HE COULD SWING LEFT TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT AND EXIT THE WAY HE CAME IN. THE PILOT WAS OBSERVING THE CLEARANCE TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO MISS THE AIRCRAFT PARKED THERE. WHEN HE LOOKED TO THE LEFT TO CHECK THE CLEARANCE OF THE FENCE HE SAW THAT HE WAS CLEAR AND TURNED TO THE LEFT, WHICH HAD THE EFFECT OF PIVOTING THE WINGTIP BACKWARDS. THE CLEARANCE WAS NOW GONE, BECAUSE WHEN HE STARTED TAXING FORWARD THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE FENCE POST AND DAMAGED THE WINGTIP. HE STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT TO SEE THE DAMAGE. A MECHANIC APPROACHED AND THE PILOT ASKED HIM, WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THE DAMAGE, I.E., COULD THE AIRCRAFT FLY SAFELY? THE MECHANIC REPLIED THAT "IT WOULD BE THE PILOTS CALL." THE PILOT SURVEYED THE DAMAGE AND DETERMINED VISUALLY THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, ONLY WHAT THE PILOT CONSIDERED TO BE COSMETIC DAMAGE TO THE METAL OF THE WINGTIP. HE USED HIS JUDGEMENT OF 42 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A PROFESSIONAL PILOT AND OVER 15,000 HOURS FLIGHT TIME TO DETERMINE THAT IT COULD FLY SAFELY UNTIL REPAIRS COULD BE PERFORMED.