BFO96LA003

The commercial pilot stated that because of obstacles in the vicinity of the helicopter, he decided to hover taxi backwards, then make a left turn for takeoff. He reported that he began to hover taxi with a tailwind of 14 knots, with gusts to 22 knots. The pilot stated that because of the winds, he was focused on the windsock, his flight path and engine RPM, and forgot about the helicopter which was parked behind him. The main rotor struck the parked helicopter as the pilot was turning the helicopter to the left.

On October 6, 1995, at 1520 eastern daylight time, an Enstrom F28-280C, N51786, registered to New Horizons Helicopters, Cincinnati, Ohio, collided with a unoccupied parked helicopter while hover taxiing prior to takeoff at Gallenstein Park Heliport, in Blue Ash, Ohio. The taxiing helicopter was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received no injuries. The unoccupied helicopter received minor damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated that because of a small hangar to the left of the parked helicopter, a fence in front, and telephone poles and wires to the right, he planned to hover taxi aft, then turn left in order to takeoff. He noted that there was an unoccupied helicopter parked approximately sixty feet aft and right of N51786. The pilot stated that he thought he had enough room between the helicopters to hover taxi as planned. He reported that he "...picked N51786 up off it's cart. As [the taxi] was into a tailwind, I was paying a lot of attention to the windsock and maintaining course and RPM while taxiing in reverse. I forgot the other helicopter was parked behind...and backed into it...I start every afternoon the same way, from the same position, to report afternoon rush hour traffic. The difference today was the second helicopter." Winds were reported to be out of 230 degrees at 14 knots, with gusts to 22 knots.