What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the morning of October 30, 2015 the pilot and aircraft began the operational day at high island a 264, an offshore platform located in the Gulf Of Mexico. The aircraft departed the platform with the pilot and one passenger onboard destined for another offshore location, west cameron 149 .the pilot dropped off his passenger and flew the aircraft with no passengers to another offshore location; west cameron 167. The pilot shut down the aircraft and secured the main rotor system by attaching a rope to the forward left main rotor blade and tying the rope end to the left front skid cross tube. He then went inside the platform facility for slightly over 3 hours while waiting for a call to return to west cameron 149 to pick up the passenger.
The pilot received a call at approximately 12:15 instruction him to return to west cameron 149 to pick up the passenger for further transportation as directed. The pilot went to the platform helideck were the aircraft was located and proceeded directly to the right-rear cabin door and placed his personnel bag in the aircraft. He then moved to the right-front cockpit door and placed additional personnel items in the aircraft in preparation for flight, then entered the aircraft using the same door and sat in the right-front pilot seat. He then proceed to start the aircraft and noted a few seconds after initiating the engine start the aircraft make an ?unusual noise? And began to shake. He immediately secured the engine and completed aircraft shutdown. Upon exiting the aircraft he found one main rotor blade damaged by the rotation of the main rotor system with the tie down attached during the engine start.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 30, 2015 THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT BEGAN THE OPERATIONAL DAY AT HIGH ISLAND A 264, AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM LOCATED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE PLATFORM WITH THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ONBOARD DESTINED FOR ANOTHER OFFSHORE LOCATION, WEST CAMERON 149 .THE PILOT DROPPED OFF HIS PASSENGER AND FLEW THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO PASSENGERS TO ANOTHER OFFSHORE LOCATION; WEST CAMERON 167. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND SECURED THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM BY ATTACHING A ROPE TO THE FORWARD LEFT MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND TYING THE ROPE END TO THE LEFT FRONT SKID CROSS TUBE. HE THEN WENT INSIDE THE PLATFORM FACILITY FOR SLIGHTLY OVER 3 HOURS WHILE WAITING FOR A CALL TO RETURN TO WEST CAMERON 149 TO PICK UP THE PASSENGER.
THE PILOT RECEIVED A CALL AT APPROXIMATELY 12:15 INSTRUCTION HIM TO RETURN TO WEST CAMERON 149 TO PICK UP THE PASSENGER FOR FURTHER TRANSPORTATION AS DIRECTED. THE PILOT WENT TO THE PLATFORM HELIDECK WERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT-REAR CABIN DOOR AND PLACED HIS PERSONNEL BAG IN THE AIRCRAFT. HE THEN MOVED TO THE RIGHT-FRONT COCKPIT DOOR AND PLACED ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ITEMS IN THE AIRCRAFT IN PREPARATION FOR FLIGHT, THEN ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT USING THE SAME DOOR AND SAT IN THE RIGHT-FRONT PILOT SEAT. HE THEN PROCEED TO START THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED A FEW SECONDS AFTER INITIATING THE ENGINE START THE AIRCRAFT MAKE AN ?UNUSUAL NOISE? AND BEGAN TO SHAKE. HE IMMEDIATELY SECURED THE ENGINE AND COMPLETED AIRCRAFT SHUTDOWN. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT HE FOUND ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE DAMAGED BY THE ROTATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM WITH THE TIE DOWN ATTACHED DURING THE ENGINE START.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.