Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 148; Flight Crew Total 6958; Flight Crew Type 2608
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Human Factors
A tent was being constructed near the taxiway for an event requiring the airport to be closed the following day. Construction vehicles and personnel were moving in the area and a truck was improperly parked very close to the taxiway on the side opposite to where the tent was being erected. The Airport Manager and those assisting in coordinating the setup for the next day's events were in the vicinity of the construction activity. No NOTAM; barricades; or personnel were providing information relative to the construction that was occurring and no assistance was provided by airport personnel to aid in avoiding a collision with personnel or vehicles in the area.I was taxing out with a new student and was explaining the importance of remaining on the yellow center line to avoid collision with planes and other things that might be along the sides of the taxiway. We were on the centerline; at engine idle and slowed to walking speed as we noticed all the activity ahead to our left. I misjudged the location of the improperly parked truck on the right resulting in the tip of the right wing striking the vehicle resulting in damage to the aircraft. I spoke with several people after the event. One had taxied through the area about 30 minutes prior to our event. He spoke to a person removing tools from the truck and commented about the inappropriate place the truck was parked and asked him [to] move it. This pilot indicated he had a very difficult time maneuvering around on the taxiway to avoid the truck and the personnel and equipment involved in the tent construction on the other side. The other person I spoke with was assisting the airport manager in coordinating events relative to the tent construction. He indicated that the truck was clearly inappropriately parked and should not have been parked there. (If he had noticed this before our event; I wonder why he did not take the appropriate action and get it moved; or inform the airport manager of the situation?)I feel my initial decisions were correct; in that we were focused on taxiing on the yellow line; moving forward at a slow walk pace with the engine at idle. The construction; vehicle and human movement activity to my left distracted me for just a few seconds at a time that caused me to misjudge the proximity of the truck to the taxiway and ultimately to my right wingtip. I feel that the airport management should take a more aggressive role in evaluating the potential hazards associated with seemingly simple projects on the airport and post appropriate NOTAM's; barricades and/or have personnel at those locations to aid in moving aircraft safely through that area.
C172 instructor reports striking a pickup truck parked in close proximity to the main taxiway causing damage to the wing tip during slow taxing. The aircraft nose wheel was on the taxiway center line.