<< >> NASA ASRS Report 443093, July 1999

A cessna pilot struck the stabilizer while taxiing at 2w2 and made a duct tape repair prior to flying the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	443093
Time
Date	199907
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zwz.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lit.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 180 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	443093
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After fueling the airplane. Taxi out of fueling bay required a tight left turn. During the left turn the tail of the plane swung out and made contact with the fueling station fixture. This contact caused the trailing edge of the stabilator tip to chip. I placed gray duct tape over the broken area on the stabilator tip cover. I checked the flight controls. I inspected the surfaces for anything that would affect flight or control. I did not find flight control system malfunction or failure. I saw no signs of extensive damage and determined the aircraft to be airworthy for my flight to pittsburgh. I believe that if the contact was more direct and of greater force more visible damage could have been present that would have made the aircraft unairworthy. If that would have been the case I would have deemed the aircraft unairworthy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA PLT STRUCK THE STABILIZER WHILE TAXIING AT 2W2 AND MADE A DUCT TAPE REPAIR PRIOR TO FLYING THE ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER FUELING THE AIRPLANE. TAXI OUT OF FUELING BAY REQUIRED A TIGHT L TURN. DURING THE L TURN THE TAIL OF THE PLANE SWUNG OUT AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE FUELING STATION FIXTURE. THIS CONTACT CAUSED THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE STABILATOR TIP TO CHIP. I PLACED GRAY DUCT TAPE OVER THE BROKEN AREA ON THE STABILATOR TIP COVER. I CHKED THE FLT CTLS. I INSPECTED THE SURFACES FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD AFFECT FLT OR CTL. I DID NOT FIND FLT CTL SYS MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE. I SAW NO SIGNS OF EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND DETERMINED THE ACFT TO BE AIRWORTHY FOR MY FLT TO PITTSBURGH. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE CONTACT WAS MORE DIRECT AND OF GREATER FORCE MORE VISIBLE DAMAGE COULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THE ACFT UNAIRWORTHY. IF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE I WOULD HAVE DEEMED THE ACFT UNAIRWORTHY.

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.