20170916011649A

(PILOT STATEMENT EDITED FOR RELEVANT CONTENT)

I WAS THE PIC OF N786WW (WESTWIND CARAVAN EXPLORER 3) AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 03 AT SEZ, I TAXIED THE PLANE ON TAXIWAY A2 TO TAXIWAY A AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY UNICOM (123.0) "WESTWIND EXPLORER 3 FOLLOW THE TRUCK ON A6 TO PARKING". THERE WERE MANY PLANES, CARS AND PEOPLE ON THE RAMP BECAUSE OF THE FLY IN AND CAR SHOW THAT WAS BEGINNING TO WRAP UP. NORMAL PROCEDURE ENTAILS PULLING ONTO THE MAIN RAMP WHICH IS USUALLY OPEN WITH VERY FEW PLANES IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING, WHICH IS MORE CONVENIENT FOR PASSENGER PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF. THE RAMP IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL WAS FULL AT THIS TIME. I COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS, SLOWED MY TAXI TO BEGIN MY TURN ONTO A6 BUT BECAME INCREASINGLY NERVOUS DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF A COUPLE AIRCRAFT THAT WERE PARKED ANGLED TOWARDS THE EAST ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE TAXI WAY. THEIR WINGS EXTENDED VERY CLOSE TO THE YELLOW CENTER LINE OF THE TAXI WAY. I CAREFULLY FOCUSED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY PLANE ON ACCOUNT OF MY WING TIP BEING SOMEWHAT OBSTRUCTED BY THE RADOME AS I MANEUVERED AROUND THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. I WAS TRUSTING THAT THOSE MARSHALING ME HAD A BETTER VIEW OF WHERE MY WINGS WERE IN PROXIMITY TO OBJECTS IN THE VICINITY. IT WAS CONFIRMED ON THE RADIO AND VERIFIED LATER BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ (^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS ANOTHER WESTWIND PILOT THAT WAS ON THE GROUND AT THE SAME TIME) "YOU ARE CLEAR OF THE PLANES ON YOUR RIGHT.? THE DRIVER THEN SPOKE AND SAID "CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE TRUCK TO PARK ON THE END OF THE ROW NEXT TO THE SMALL JET". I REPLIED, "CONTINUING TO FOLLOW AND WILL PARK NEXT TO THE SMALL JET ON THE END OF THE ROW". I FELT THAT THE SAFEST THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE EVENT TRAFFIC AND THE DIFFERENT PARKING SITUATION, WAS TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND STAY BEHIND THE TRUCK. IT WAS ODD TO ME THAT THE PLANES WERE PARKED SO FAR ONTO A TAXI WAY THAT WAS MEANT FOR AIRCRAFT THAT ARE MUCH BIGGER IN SIZE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS EVENT. ACCORDING TO AIRPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE AWOS, THE RECORDING ASKED PILOTS TO COMPLY WITH SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS DUE TO EVENT CONGESTION. AFTER TURNING ONTO A6 WHERE I WAS FURTHER ON THE SOUTH END TO AVOID THE PLANES PARKED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE TAXI WAY, I FELT RELIEF KNOWING THAT I HAD CLEARED ALL THE OTHER PLANES. I APPLIED POWER BEING THAT THE PLANE WAS NEAR A STANDSTILL AFTER THE TURN SO I COULD TAXI STRAIGHT AHEAD FOLLOWING THE TRUCK TO THE EMPTY PARKING SPACE NEXT TO THE SMALL JET. AFTER GAINING A LITTLE MOMENTUM IT FELT LIKE A GIANT HAND HAD SUDDENLY GRABBED ONTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLANE AND THE LEFT SIDE STAYED PUT WHILE THE RIGHT SIDE SWUNG AROUND AND NEARLY TURNED THE PLANE 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT. I OBSERVED MY FEET MOVING WITHOUT PUTTING ANY PRESSURE ON THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE NOSE WHEEL FOLLOWED WHAT THE PLANE WAS DOING AND TURNED SHARPLY LEFT. I PULLED THE POWER BACK REACTING TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I SHUT THE PLANE DOWN AND LOOKED UP AND LEFT AND REALIZED THAT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES FROM THE TIP HAD CONTACTED THE LIGHT POST ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE TAXI WAY. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN I ENSURED THOSE ABOARD WERE UNINJURED AND SAFE BEFORE WE ALL EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. AIRPORT PERSONNEL HELPED ESCORT PEOPLE TO THE TERMINAL. AFTERWARDS I WAS ABLE TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SITUATION. IT APPEARED THE MOMENTUM THAT WAS BUILDING AS I WAS ADDING SOME POWER TO GET TO THE PARKING SPOT AS I CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE POST WITH THE LEFT WING SWUNG THE WHOLE PLANE AROUND TO THE LEFT THEN THE NOSE WHEEL ROLLED ONTO THE GRASS ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF THE TAXI WAY AND STARTED SLIDING ADDING TO THE EFFECT. THE IMPACT BENT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING INWARDS WHERE THE LIGHT POST WAS STRUCK BUT THAT SEEMED TO BE ONLY DAMAGED SUFFERED BY THE PLANE. A TOW BAR WAS RETRIEVED AND AFTER STRAIGHTENING OUT THE NOSE WHEEL THE PLANE WAS PUSHED BACK ON TO THE RAMP AND TURNED SO THAT IT COULD BE TOWED TO THE PARKING SPOT AWAY FROM TRAFFIC AND ANY FURTHER HARM THEN SECURED.