C-172, taxiing traffic, hits obstruction pole.

Attributes
ACN	280869
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 14a
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mfe
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1490 flight time type : 557
ASRS Report	280869
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Landed at lake norman airport. Taxied to apparent office area and shut down engine. Wife (passenger) and I exited the plane. No one around. Called daughter in nearby town to pick us up. Looked for a tie-down. Found a spot with appropriate 3 ropes in nearby field area. Restarted engine - - wife not in plane -- and proceeded to taxi along a narrow roadway to tie-down. Small volkswagen on left and cessna 120 on right at turn in road had me cautiously go through. My concern for tail clearing volkswagen as I turned right to follow road, led me into softer ground on left. A cherokee on right of intended tie-down, and my misjudging distance from road edge to pole, got me too far left. When left wing hit pole I thought I was into pothole and gave quick power boost -- immediate 90 degree left turn as plane pivoted at pole contact. I shut down engine immediately. My problem came with being on a strange field and misjudging distances between pole, road edge and cherokee, then thinking I had dropped into a pothole. Maybe pilots familiar with the field would have taken a different path, return to runway, back-taxi and up hill to another section of the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-172, TAXIING TFC, HITS OBSTRUCTION POLE.

Narrative: LANDED AT LAKE NORMAN ARPT. TAXIED TO APPARENT OFFICE AREA AND SHUT DOWN ENG. WIFE (PAX) AND I EXITED THE PLANE. NO ONE AROUND. CALLED DAUGHTER IN NEARBY TOWN TO PICK US UP. LOOKED FOR A TIE-DOWN. FOUND A SPOT WITH APPROPRIATE 3 ROPES IN NEARBY FIELD AREA. RESTARTED ENG - - WIFE NOT IN PLANE -- AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI ALONG A NARROW ROADWAY TO TIE-DOWN. SMALL VOLKSWAGEN ON L AND CESSNA 120 ON R AT TURN IN ROAD HAD ME CAUTIOUSLY GO THROUGH. MY CONCERN FOR TAIL CLRING VOLKSWAGEN AS I TURNED R TO FOLLOW ROAD, LED ME INTO SOFTER GND ON L. A CHEROKEE ON R OF INTENDED TIE-DOWN, AND MY MISJUDGING DISTANCE FROM ROAD EDGE TO POLE, GOT ME TOO FAR L. WHEN L WING HIT POLE I THOUGHT I WAS INTO POTHOLE AND GAVE QUICK PWR BOOST -- IMMEDIATE 90 DEG L TURN AS PLANE PIVOTED AT POLE CONTACT. I SHUT DOWN ENG IMMEDIATELY. MY PROB CAME WITH BEING ON A STRANGE FIELD AND MISJUDGING DISTANCES BTWN POLE, ROAD EDGE AND CHEROKEE, THEN THINKING I HAD DROPPED INTO A POTHOLE. MAYBE PLTS FAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD WOULD HAVE TAKEN A DIFFERENT PATH, RETURN TO RWY, BACK-TAXI AND UP HILL TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THE FIELD.

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.