Narrative:

After landing at iad runway 19L, exited runway wbound and was advised to taxi to an FBO via taxiway K4 to taxiway J. While at intersection of taxiway J and taxiway east, was advised to turn left at taxiway B and right at taxiway Z. Believing, mistakenly, that taxiway east was taxiway B, I turned left onto taxiway east and was looking for taxiway B. The gates were an air carrier's gates and while taxiing west, a tug driving south, crossed from left to right, right into my path. I locked the right brake attempting to miss the tug by going behind him. The tug operator never looked or saw the aircraft prior to his impacting the wing. While his injuries were not severe he missed the propeller by less than 5 ft and only because I turned to the right, rather than impacting straight on. Had I not turned, he would certainly have been killed. Ramp personnel are not on ground frequency and should be, or at minimum should monitor ground frequency. The wrong turn may have contributed, but the real problem was inattentiveness of ground personnel to small aircraft where large aircraft usually operate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT TAXIES THE WRONG RTE AND ENDS UP ON AN ACR'S RAMP WHERE A TUG DRIVER RUNS INTO THE ACFT'S WING. THE PLT BLAMES THE TUG DRIVER FOR NOT LOOKING OUT FOR SMALL ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT IAD RWY 19L, EXITED RWY WBOUND AND WAS ADVISED TO TAXI TO AN FBO VIA TXWY K4 TO TXWY J. WHILE AT INTXN OF TXWY J AND TXWY E, WAS ADVISED TO TURN L AT TXWY B AND R AT TXWY Z. BELIEVING, MISTAKENLY, THAT TXWY E WAS TXWY B, I TURNED L ONTO TXWY E AND WAS LOOKING FOR TXWY B. THE GATES WERE AN ACR'S GATES AND WHILE TAXIING W, A TUG DRIVING S, CROSSED FROM L TO R, RIGHT INTO MY PATH. I LOCKED THE R BRAKE ATTEMPTING TO MISS THE TUG BY GOING BEHIND HIM. THE TUG OPERATOR NEVER LOOKED OR SAW THE ACFT PRIOR TO HIS IMPACTING THE WING. WHILE HIS INJURIES WERE NOT SEVERE HE MISSED THE PROP BY LESS THAN 5 FT AND ONLY BECAUSE I TURNED TO THE R, RATHER THAN IMPACTING STRAIGHT ON. HAD I NOT TURNED, HE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN KILLED. RAMP PERSONNEL ARE NOT ON GND FREQ AND SHOULD BE, OR AT MINIMUM SHOULD MONITOR GND FREQ. THE WRONG TURN MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED, BUT THE REAL PROB WAS INATTENTIVENESS OF GND PERSONNEL TO SMALL ACFT WHERE LARGE ACFT USUALLY OPERATE.

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.