Narrative:

We had landed on runway 16 at gky airport apr/sun/02. We stopped the aircraft and cleaned it up (transponder off, carburetor heat closed, etc). We proceeded down the taxiway towards our hangar when 1/3 of the way down we had to deviate left onto the ramp due to the taxiway being blocked off for construction. This construction has been going on for some time now -- about 60-90 days. This path is the normal path aircraft have been using to get from the hangars to runway 16 or from the runway 16 to the hangars. While taxiing, I turned left and right, due to my RV6 is a tail dragger. Just as I turned left from the blocked off taxiway, we hit a helicopter trailer. The helicopter was gone, flying, and the trailer was left behind. It measures 7.5 inches tall. No reflectors were on the trailer either. The propeller cleared the trailer initially, but when the main landing gear hit the trailers, the nose of the aircraft went over. The propeller hit the trailers and broke about 1/2 inch off the tip. The most important issue is nobody was hurt. As I was there trying to understand what had happened, 2 different individuals came up to me and said they had been warning the FBO and the airport for about 2 weeks now, that every time that helicopter goes flying they leave that thing in the middle of the way. Mr Y said he almost hit it with a tricycle airplane, and mr Y said that he knew of someone else that hit that trailer being too low without any reflectors or a darker color. I hope that type of incident does not happen again to someone else -- especially in arlington airport.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RV6 PLT RAN INTO A HELI TRAILER DURING TAXI IN, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LNDG GEAR AND PROP.

Narrative: WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 16 AT GKY ARPT APR/SUN/02. WE STOPPED THE ACFT AND CLEANED IT UP (XPONDER OFF, CARB HEAT CLOSED, ETC). WE PROCEEDED DOWN THE TXWY TOWARDS OUR HANGAR WHEN 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN WE HAD TO DEVIATE L ONTO THE RAMP DUE TO THE TXWY BEING BLOCKED OFF FOR CONSTRUCTION. THIS CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME NOW -- ABOUT 60-90 DAYS. THIS PATH IS THE NORMAL PATH ACFT HAVE BEEN USING TO GET FROM THE HANGARS TO RWY 16 OR FROM THE RWY 16 TO THE HANGARS. WHILE TAXIING, I TURNED L AND R, DUE TO MY RV6 IS A TAIL DRAGGER. JUST AS I TURNED L FROM THE BLOCKED OFF TXWY, WE HIT A HELI TRAILER. THE HELI WAS GONE, FLYING, AND THE TRAILER WAS LEFT BEHIND. IT MEASURES 7.5 INCHES TALL. NO REFLECTORS WERE ON THE TRAILER EITHER. THE PROP CLRED THE TRAILER INITIALLY, BUT WHEN THE MAIN LNDG GEAR HIT THE TRAILERS, THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WENT OVER. THE PROP HIT THE TRAILERS AND BROKE ABOUT 1/2 INCH OFF THE TIP. THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS NOBODY WAS HURT. AS I WAS THERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, 2 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS CAME UP TO ME AND SAID THEY HAD BEEN WARNING THE FBO AND THE ARPT FOR ABOUT 2 WKS NOW, THAT EVERY TIME THAT HELI GOES FLYING THEY LEAVE THAT THING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAY. MR Y SAID HE ALMOST HIT IT WITH A TRICYCLE AIRPLANE, AND MR Y SAID THAT HE KNEW OF SOMEONE ELSE THAT HIT THAT TRAILER BEING TOO LOW WITHOUT ANY REFLECTORS OR A DARKER COLOR. I HOPE THAT TYPE OF INCIDENT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN TO SOMEONE ELSE -- ESPECIALLY IN ARLINGTON ARPT.

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.