What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft, a Bell BH-407 helicopter N489AE, was positioned onto the helipad facing south toward the hangar for a patient transfer mission. A sister aircraft, N499AE, was parked just off the pad parallel and slightly aft along the west side. Following run-up and crew checks, the aircraft was brought to a hover. While at a hover, the pilot turned the aircraft approximately 45 degrees to the left to face the prevailing wind for takeoff. Tail rotor came into contact with a main rotor blade of the parked aircraft. Pilot experienced vibration and a sudden yaw to the right. Pilot executed a hovering autorotation on the pad and came to rest heading west, a turn of approximately 125 degrees to the right of the heading at the time of tail rotor contact.
Accident aircraft suffered damage to both tail rotor blades, a dent to the leading edge of the blue main rotor blade, surface gouges to the blue and red main rotor blades, puncture holes to one horizontal stabilizer fin and the skids spread due to the hard landing. The parked aircraft suffered damage to the trailing edge of one main rotor blade.
Statements from the crew indicate that the right-side crew member attempted to alert the pilot to the impending impact. This alert was not heard by the pilot because the pilot was transmitting to Mcallen tower at the time.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT, A BELL BH-407 HELICOPTER N489AE, WAS POSITIONED ONTO THE HELIPAD FACING SOUTH TOWARD THE HANGAR FOR A PATIENT TRANSFER MISSION. A SISTER AIRCRAFT, N499AE, WAS PARKED JUST OFF THE PAD PARALLEL AND SLIGHTLY AFT ALONG THE WEST SIDE. FOLLOWING RUN-UP AND CREW CHECKS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS BROUGHT TO A HOVER. WHILE AT A HOVER, THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT TO FACE THE PREVAILING WIND FOR TAKEOFF. TAIL ROTOR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A MAIN ROTOR BLADE OF THE PARKED AIRCRAFT. PILOT EXPERIENCED VIBRATION AND A SUDDEN YAW TO THE RIGHT. PILOT EXECUTED A HOVERING AUTOROTATION ON THE PAD AND CAME TO REST HEADING WEST, A TURN OF APPROXIMATELY 125 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE HEADING AT THE TIME OF TAIL ROTOR CONTACT.
ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES, A DENT TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BLUE MAIN ROTOR BLADE, SURFACE GOUGES TO THE BLUE AND RED MAIN ROTOR BLADES, PUNCTURE HOLES TO ONE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER FIN AND THE SKIDS SPREAD DUE TO THE HARD LANDING. THE PARKED AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE.
STATEMENTS FROM THE CREW INDICATE THAT THE RIGHT-SIDE CREW MEMBER ATTEMPTED TO ALERT THE PILOT TO THE IMPENDING IMPACT. THIS ALERT WAS NOT HEARD BY THE PILOT BECAUSE THE PILOT WAS TRANSMITTING TO MCALLEN TOWER AT THE TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.