Pilot of a C310 struck the right wingtip fuel tank on a snow berm while maneuvering around a parked ...

Attributes
ACN	430769
Time
Date	199903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : paq.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	430769
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was taxiing C310 towards parking area on snow-covered/paved taxiway, aircraft 2 (A2) was parked in taxiway towards south side I passed wbound on the north side. Maintaining wingtip clearance, I continued into parking area, tied down and left. During inspection of C310 on mar/xd/99 (3 days later), I noticed dent on my right wing tip tank. My conclusion is that due to minimum contrast in snow conditions a snow 'berm' that had been plowed into place by airport was impacted by my right wingtip. Fresh snow over berm, fresh snow behind berm and bright sun blended the view into a single backgnd of snow. The impact was not felt as such while in the plane. I did not notice the damage until the next time I looked the plane over. The snow berm was the result of plowing operations at the airport and had been left in the taxiway. The light conditions made the foregnd and the backgnd snow seem flat. Apparently the snow berm had not been removed due to airport operator. Operator had been previously advised/warned about leaving berm in place on taxiway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C310 STRUCK THE R WINGTIP FUEL TANK ON A SNOW BERM WHILE MANEUVERING AROUND A PARKED C152 ON TXWY TO PARKING. MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FUEL TANK WAS DISCOVERED BY RPTR DURING PREFLT 3 DAYS LATER.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING C310 TOWARDS PARKING AREA ON SNOW-COVERED/PAVED TXWY, ACFT 2 (A2) WAS PARKED IN TXWY TOWARDS S SIDE I PASSED WBOUND ON THE N SIDE. MAINTAINING WINGTIP CLRNC, I CONTINUED INTO PARKING AREA, TIED DOWN AND LEFT. DURING INSPECTION OF C310 ON MAR/XD/99 (3 DAYS LATER), I NOTICED DENT ON MY R WING TIP TANK. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT DUE TO MINIMUM CONTRAST IN SNOW CONDITIONS A SNOW 'BERM' THAT HAD BEEN PLOWED INTO PLACE BY ARPT WAS IMPACTED BY MY R WINGTIP. FRESH SNOW OVER BERM, FRESH SNOW BEHIND BERM AND BRIGHT SUN BLENDED THE VIEW INTO A SINGLE BACKGND OF SNOW. THE IMPACT WAS NOT FELT AS SUCH WHILE IN THE PLANE. I DID NOT NOTICE THE DAMAGE UNTIL THE NEXT TIME I LOOKED THE PLANE OVER. THE SNOW BERM WAS THE RESULT OF PLOWING OPS AT THE ARPT AND HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE TXWY. THE LIGHT CONDITIONS MADE THE FOREGND AND THE BACKGND SNOW SEEM FLAT. APPARENTLY THE SNOW BERM HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED DUE TO ARPT OPERATOR. OPERATOR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADVISED/WARNED ABOUT LEAVING BERM IN PLACE ON TXWY.

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.

Pilot of a C310 struck the right wingtip fuel tank on a snow berm while maneuvering around a parked C152 on taxiway to parking. Minor damage to the fuel tank was discovered by reporter during preflight 3 days later.