Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 16; Flight Crew Total 690; Flight Crew Type 600
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
While taxiing on Taxiway Charlie under Ground Control directives and monitoring ground frequency; a biplane was traveling the opposite direction along Taxiway Alpha. We stopped short of the intersection 'A' and 'C' by 40 yards to allow the biplane to pass by down Alpha. He was not on frequency nor did Ground Control make any call with regards to this possible yield requirements. The biplane turned right directly onto our Charlie taxiway and did not slow down. We had no option from a stopped condition to quickly move from his collision course with us. His visibility straight ahead was limited with the tail wheel configuration and he was not s-turning at all to verify taxi traffic and was not on frequency to alert him. In the last couple seconds I was preparing to shut down the engine while preparing for impact. Within 20 feet or so he turned hard right and his wing missed our prop and left wing by a few feet as he passed. [There was a] look of terror in his eyes and he waved in embarrassment as he passed by.I contacted Ground immediately and asked if they just witnessed this extremely close call. Ground response was he didn't see the biplane on the taxiway and he must have come out behind the hangars. The biplane traveled down Taxiway Alpha for at least 100+ yards prior to Taxiway Charlie in clear view of the Tower. This was a serious situation that could have easily ended in a lethal tragedy. I would appreciate talking to someone who can help me understand how all these breaches can unfold with only luck saving lives of a few people. Why wasn't the biplane speaking with ground prior to entering an active taxiway? Especially with a limited visibility aircraft. Where was the Ground Controller during the potential collision? This was an extremely serious case of broken down policy-procedure. I'm glad I'm here and able to share this with you to potentially minimize it from happening again.
GA pilot reported experiencing a near-collision with a biplane during taxi at SPG airport.