Narrative:

I was handed off to allegheny county tower from pittsburg approach. The tower gave me a choice of runway 28 and runway 23. I chose the 2534 ft long runway 23 because it was right into the wind which was quite strong at the time. I landed without event on runway 23 (which is approached over a gravel pit) and as per instructions turned left off the southwest end and switched to ground control. At this point, I asked for instructions for taxiing to the FBO where my passenger was to be picked up. After some confusion since that end of runway 23 is not visible from the tower, I was told to taxi along the front of the hangars. I asked again and was given the same instruction. I proceeded cautiously to taxi in an easterly direction and picked up a yellow line that led me down an aisle between rows of parked aircraft. I noted that there was very little clearance for the wing tips and exercised even more caution. As we were passing an small aircraft on the left side, I called my passenger's attention to it since he had probably seen a recent article on small aircraft breakups. Just at that instant the left wing tip of my aircraft struck the end of the small aircraft spinner. Both of us were looking directly at the small aircraft and probably both concentrating on the propeller itself. The spinner being very long and beautifully shined up was not all that obvious. My pas later took a video of the tie down line showing that the small aircraft was parked about 2 ft forward of the other aircraft on the line. The damage was slight and was reported to the county police, tower chief and local FSDO. This should not be construed as an accident report, but the circumstances have been included to illustrate the safety problems. These are: the southwest end of runway 5 and 23 is not visible from the tower. The line of sight is blocked by a long row of hangars. Taxi instructions for aircraft coming off runway 23 are based on guesswork. Takeoff clearance on runway 5 must also be issued to an invisible aircraft. The taxiway which runs parallel to the row of hangars is clearly marked with yellow line but is not intended for aircraft. I was informed of this by FBO people after the strike but in the interest of safety some sort of warning should be painted on the ramp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA TAXIING NEAR PARKED ACFT HIT WING TIP ON NOSE SPINNER OF ANOTHER SMA.

Narrative: I WAS HANDED OFF TO ALLEGHENY COUNTY TWR FROM PITTSBURG APCH. THE TWR GAVE ME A CHOICE OF RWY 28 AND RWY 23. I CHOSE THE 2534 FT LONG RWY 23 BECAUSE IT WAS R INTO THE WIND WHICH WAS QUITE STRONG AT THE TIME. I LANDED WITHOUT EVENT ON RWY 23 (WHICH IS APCHED OVER A GRAVEL PIT) AND AS PER INSTRUCTIONS TURNED L OFF THE SW END AND SWITCHED TO GND CTL. AT THIS POINT, I ASKED FOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAXIING TO THE FBO WHERE MY PAX WAS TO BE PICKED UP. AFTER SOME CONFUSION SINCE THAT END OF RWY 23 IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR, I WAS TOLD TO TAXI ALONG THE FRONT OF THE HANGARS. I ASKED AGAIN AND WAS GIVEN THE SAME INSTRUCTION. I PROCEEDED CAUTIOUSLY TO TAXI IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION AND PICKED UP A YELLOW LINE THAT LED ME DOWN AN AISLE BTWN ROWS OF PARKED ACFT. I NOTED THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE CLRNC FOR THE WING TIPS AND EXERCISED EVEN MORE CAUTION. AS WE WERE PASSING AN SMA ON THE L SIDE, I CALLED MY PAX'S ATTN TO IT SINCE HE HAD PROBABLY SEEN A RECENT ARTICLE ON SMA BREAKUPS. JUST AT THAT INSTANT THE L WING TIP OF MY ACFT STRUCK THE END OF THE SMA SPINNER. BOTH OF US WERE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE SMA AND PROBABLY BOTH CONCENTRATING ON THE PROP ITSELF. THE SPINNER BEING VERY LONG AND BEAUTIFULLY SHINED UP WAS NOT ALL THAT OBVIOUS. MY PAS LATER TOOK A VIDEO OF THE TIE DOWN LINE SHOWING THAT THE SMA WAS PARKED ABOUT 2 FT FORWARD OF THE OTHER ACFT ON THE LINE. THE DAMAGE WAS SLIGHT AND WAS RPTED TO THE COUNTY POLICE, TWR CHIEF AND LCL FSDO. THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN ACCIDENT RPT, BUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE SAFETY PROBLEMS. THESE ARE: THE SW END OF RWY 5 AND 23 IS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. THE LINE OF SIGHT IS BLOCKED BY A LONG ROW OF HANGARS. TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACFT COMING OFF RWY 23 ARE BASED ON GUESSWORK. TKOF CLRNC ON RWY 5 MUST ALSO BE ISSUED TO AN INVISIBLE ACFT. THE TAXIWAY WHICH RUNS PARALLEL TO THE ROW OF HANGARS IS CLRLY MARKED WITH YELLOW LINE BUT IS NOT INTENDED FOR ACFT. I WAS INFORMED OF THIS BY FBO PEOPLE AFTER THE STRIKE BUT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY SOME SORT OF WARNING SHOULD BE PAINTED ON THE RAMP.

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.