Air taxi aircraft taxiing around snowplows hits jet blast fence with wing tips.

Attributes
ACN	173209
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	173209
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was taxiing my small transport out of FBO to runway 04L at mdw. In 3/91 there was a large snowstorm--14' fell on tuesday. There was still a large amount of snowplows clearance runways and txwys. But, due to high winds, there were a lot of drifting snow. I got clearance to taxi to runway 4L and was running slightly late. As I taxied I encountered about 7 snow plows blocking whiskey taxiway onto 4L. The other taxiway was not plowed and unpassable. The previous day I was able to get onto the runway 04L by going past whiskey and to the end of the runway. I went the same way on tuesday night to save some time and couldn't find an entrance to the runway since it had drifted over. All the lights were also drifted over. As I continued, the ramp area turned into an airport access road. As I looked for a way to get onto the runway, I clipped the jet blast barricade with my right wing tip, causing damage to the tip only. I then taxied back to FBO and secured the aircraft. No report was required. I do feel that mdw is very poorly lit for the amount of aircraft traffic. The snowstorm and poor conditions at the airport probably required me to exercise more caution with taxiing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT TAXIING AROUND SNOWPLOWS HITS JET BLAST FENCE WITH WING TIPS.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING MY SMT OUT OF FBO TO RWY 04L AT MDW. IN 3/91 THERE WAS A LARGE SNOWSTORM--14' FELL ON TUESDAY. THERE WAS STILL A LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOWPLOWS CLRNC RWYS AND TXWYS. BUT, DUE TO HIGH WINDS, THERE WERE A LOT OF DRIFTING SNOW. I GOT CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 4L AND WAS RUNNING SLIGHTLY LATE. AS I TAXIED I ENCOUNTERED ABOUT 7 SNOW PLOWS BLOCKING WHISKEY TXWY ONTO 4L. THE OTHER TXWY WAS NOT PLOWED AND UNPASSABLE. THE PREVIOUS DAY I WAS ABLE TO GET ONTO THE RWY 04L BY GOING PAST WHISKEY AND TO THE END OF THE RWY. I WENT THE SAME WAY ON TUESDAY NIGHT TO SAVE SOME TIME AND COULDN'T FIND AN ENTRANCE TO THE RWY SINCE IT HAD DRIFTED OVER. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ALSO DRIFTED OVER. AS I CONTINUED, THE RAMP AREA TURNED INTO AN ARPT ACCESS ROAD. AS I LOOKED FOR A WAY TO GET ONTO THE RWY, I CLIPPED THE JET BLAST BARRICADE WITH MY RIGHT WING TIP, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TIP ONLY. I THEN TAXIED BACK TO FBO AND SECURED THE ACFT. NO RPT WAS REQUIRED. I DO FEEL THAT MDW IS VERY POORLY LIT FOR THE AMOUNT OF ACFT TFC. THE SNOWSTORM AND POOR CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT PROBABLY REQUIRED ME TO EXERCISE MORE CAUTION WITH TAXIING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.