B25 mitchell strikes fire truck with wingtip while taxiing for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	711941
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Military Bomber
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 30000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	711941
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was PIC of the B25J mitchell bomber; taxiing for takeoff to perform a series of low passes for the air show that was in progress. We were cleared by ground control to taxi to runway 35 via taxiway B. The taxiway is very narrow; and further obstructed by 2 large fire trucks. At the edge of the right side of the taxiway were several hundred spectators; standing on the grass on the taxiway edge. The fire trucks were parked on the left; or east side of the taxiway. I was taxiing very slowly; less than 5 KTS. My attention was directed primarily to the right edge of the taxiway; where the spectators were. When I glanced to my left; I realized that the fire trucks were much closer than I had expected. I applied the brakes to stop the aircraft; but was too late to prevent the left wingtip from impacting the right front eyebrow window of the truck. We stopped the aircraft and shut down; it was subsequently towed to a hangar. Damage was an 8 inch X 1 inch gouge in the left wingtip; and a smashed navigation light. The eyebrow window of the fire truck was cracked. In retrospect; I should have stopped earlier and insisted on wing walkers on both sides of the airplane. I was too intent on the large crowd to the exclusion of 2 very large fire trucks which had narrowed an already narrow taxiway even further.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B25 MITCHELL STRIKES FIRE TRUCK WITH WINGTIP WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF THE B25J MITCHELL BOMBER; TAXIING FOR TKOF TO PERFORM A SERIES OF LOW PASSES FOR THE AIR SHOW THAT WAS IN PROGRESS. WE WERE CLRED BY GND CTL TO TAXI TO RWY 35 VIA TXWY B. THE TXWY IS VERY NARROW; AND FURTHER OBSTRUCTED BY 2 LARGE FIRE TRUCKS. AT THE EDGE OF THE R SIDE OF THE TXWY WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED SPECTATORS; STANDING ON THE GRASS ON THE TXWY EDGE. THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE PARKED ON THE LEFT; OR EAST SIDE OF THE TXWY. I WAS TAXIING VERY SLOWLY; LESS THAN 5 KTS. MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED PRIMARILY TO THE R EDGE OF THE TXWY; WHERE THE SPECTATORS WERE. WHEN I GLANCED TO MY L; I REALIZED THAT THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE MUCH CLOSER THAN I HAD EXPECTED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP THE ACFT; BUT WAS TOO LATE TO PREVENT THE L WINGTIP FROM IMPACTING THE R FRONT EYEBROW WINDOW OF THE TRUCK. WE STOPPED THE ACFT AND SHUT DOWN; IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOWED TO A HANGAR. DAMAGE WAS AN 8 INCH X 1 INCH GOUGE IN THE L WINGTIP; AND A SMASHED NAV LIGHT. THE EYEBROW WINDOW OF THE FIRE TRUCK WAS CRACKED. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED EARLIER AND INSISTED ON WING WALKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPLANE. I WAS TOO INTENT ON THE LARGE CROWD TO THE EXCLUSION OF 2 VERY LARGE FIRE TRUCKS WHICH HAD NARROWED AN ALREADY NARROW TXWY EVEN FURTHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.