Narrative:

Aircraft to my left (another commuter) was parked in my 'protected' parking space ahead of my left wing. I taxied forward and made minimal contact with his right wingtip. Both aircraft required repair. The trailing edge on his right aileron required a sheet metal splice and deice boot was torn. My left wingtip required the end cap repaired. Both aircraft were fixed shortly afterwards. Contributing factors: 1) bright argon gas type light glared directly between myself and adjacent aircraft. No marshalling of aircraft, no wing walkers. Many distrs outside of aircraft -- tugs, etc. Aircraft parked in wrong position -- his. Night conditions reduced visibility through an already dirty sheet of glass. Long duty day. This happened at hour 8 1/2. Possibly too much paperwork prior to taxi, a further distraction. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this incident occurred at the ind airport and was involved with another aircraft in his company. He believes that company management finds it cheaper to fix wingtips than to hire ground marshallers! He further stated that this type of incident is happening in his company frequently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT ACR ACFT STRUCK ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT WINGTIP DURING TAXI DEP FROM THE GATE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO BOTH ACFT WINGTIPS.

Narrative: ACFT TO MY L (ANOTHER COMMUTER) WAS PARKED IN MY 'PROTECTED' PARKING SPACE AHEAD OF MY L WING. I TAXIED FORWARD AND MADE MINIMAL CONTACT WITH HIS R WINGTIP. BOTH ACFT REQUIRED REPAIR. THE TRAILING EDGE ON HIS R AILERON REQUIRED A SHEET METAL SPLICE AND DEICE BOOT WAS TORN. MY L WINGTIP REQUIRED THE END CAP REPAIRED. BOTH ACFT WERE FIXED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BRIGHT ARGON GAS TYPE LIGHT GLARED DIRECTLY BTWN MYSELF AND ADJACENT ACFT. NO MARSHALLING OF ACFT, NO WING WALKERS. MANY DISTRS OUTSIDE OF ACFT -- TUGS, ETC. ACFT PARKED IN WRONG POS -- HIS. NIGHT CONDITIONS REDUCED VISIBILITY THROUGH AN ALREADY DIRTY SHEET OF GLASS. LONG DUTY DAY. THIS HAPPENED AT HR 8 1/2. POSSIBLY TOO MUCH PAPERWORK PRIOR TO TAXI, A FURTHER DISTR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE IND ARPT AND WAS INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER ACFT IN HIS COMPANY. HE BELIEVES THAT COMPANY MGMNT FINDS IT CHEAPER TO FIX WINGTIPS THAN TO HIRE GND MARSHALLERS! HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT IS HAPPENING IN HIS COMPANY FREQUENTLY.

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.