According to the student pilot, he landed at the airport in Greenwood, S.C., and taxied back on the east/west parallel taxiway for a subsequent departure on the same runway to the west.
The taxiway traversed an open parking ramp and as the Piper PA-28 transitioned onto the ramp, an unidentified marshaller directed the airplane down a north/south taxiway that circumnavigated hangars on the south side of the airport.
According to the pilot, airplanes were parked along both sides with many parked across the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.
The student pilot said he endeavored to keep the nose wheel on the taxiway centerline as he’d been taught to maintain clearance.
While taxiing, the Piper’s left wing hit a parked airplane, pivoted around the contact point, and struck the tail with the turning propeller. The plane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
According to airport personnel, there was overwhelming response to a breakfast fly-in that morning that was neither NOTAMed nor anticipated, and overflow parking was not easily accommodated due to heavy rains and heavily soaked infield areas.
Photos taken immediately after the accident depicted several airplanes parked over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a parked airplane while taxiing. Contributing to the accident was the parked airplane’s position over the double-yellow taxiway edge lines and into the taxiway object-free movement area.
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This June 2020 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The parking at the event was equivalent to parking in the middle of the street – what could happen?
It’s interesting how ground operations are sometimes taught. There was a similar collision once in a parking area where I used to be based. The parking spots evidently has been relocated and the yellow line was now too close (although there was plenty of room to the other side). A student pilot stayed religiously on the yellow line, scraped a parked aircraft, and continued to taxi to the runway until a pilot alerted the tower. Another situation involved a transient aircraft whose pilot was evidently taught that the runup HAD to be done into the wind. He turned and did that right by the hold-short line. Now when he was through and given clearance for takeoff, the nosewheel was so close to the edge of the taxiway that the near 90 degree turn to enter the runway went off the taxiway onto the grass and dangerously close to the taxiway edge lights.