Narrative:

I was told to taxi to runway 9. I proceeded, then stopped the airplane and asked for progressives. The controller said to continue, proceed, or something to the effect of keep coming. I did, and ended up on a paved taxiway for vehicles instead of planes and hit a stop sign with my right wing. The controller said to keep moving and that he would get back to me with directions. I don't know if he was too busy, didn't really see me, but told me to continue. I know that I should have stopped and refused to move, but at the point where I was, the nose and propeller of the plane were blocking the 'X' on the taxiway, and since I could see the tower and the day was clear, I did what he said. Later on, he made the comment to the airport police that I was not under his control since I was still on the ramp(?). I think that standard wording should be used whenever a pilot asks for progressives -- not something vague. The stop sign was bent, a small half-dollar sized hole in the right wing -- no one hurt or injured, but the police called it an accident and an accident report was filed as well as a call to the FAA. A ferry permit is being obtained. I think that the tower instructions were extremely vague and wonder if they are having to do too much at given times of the day. The rudeness encountered is a good reason so many GA pilots are reluctant to fly into tower controled airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA180 STRUCK VEHICLE STREET STOP SIGN WITH THE R WING DURING TAXI OUT DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING GND CTL'S INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 9. I PROCEEDED, THEN STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND ASKED FOR PROGRESSIVES. THE CTLR SAID TO CONTINUE, PROCEED, OR SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF KEEP COMING. I DID, AND ENDED UP ON A PAVED TXWY FOR VEHICLES INSTEAD OF PLANES AND HIT A STOP SIGN WITH MY R WING. THE CTLR SAID TO KEEP MOVING AND THAT HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME WITH DIRECTIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS TOO BUSY, DIDN'T REALLY SEE ME, BUT TOLD ME TO CONTINUE. I KNOW THAT I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND REFUSED TO MOVE, BUT AT THE POINT WHERE I WAS, THE NOSE AND PROP OF THE PLANE WERE BLOCKING THE 'X' ON THE TXWY, AND SINCE I COULD SEE THE TWR AND THE DAY WAS CLR, I DID WHAT HE SAID. LATER ON, HE MADE THE COMMENT TO THE ARPT POLICE THAT I WAS NOT UNDER HIS CTL SINCE I WAS STILL ON THE RAMP(?). I THINK THAT STANDARD WORDING SHOULD BE USED WHENEVER A PLT ASKS FOR PROGRESSIVES -- NOT SOMETHING VAGUE. THE STOP SIGN WAS BENT, A SMALL HALF-DOLLAR SIZED HOLE IN THE R WING -- NO ONE HURT OR INJURED, BUT THE POLICE CALLED IT AN ACCIDENT AND AN ACCIDENT RPT WAS FILED AS WELL AS A CALL TO THE FAA. A FERRY PERMIT IS BEING OBTAINED. I THINK THAT THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS WERE EXTREMELY VAGUE AND WONDER IF THEY ARE HAVING TO DO TOO MUCH AT GIVEN TIMES OF THE DAY. THE RUDENESS ENCOUNTERED IS A GOOD REASON SO MANY GA PLTS ARE RELUCTANT TO FLY INTO TWR CTLED ARPTS.

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.