DFW05CA213

The 2,258-hour pilot made his approach to an oil platform, so he would be landing to the east; there was little or no wind. After crossing the helipad skirting, he flared to zero out his groundspeed. After the pilot leveled-off the helicopter, he heard a clunk and saw debris flying. There were no vibrations nor any abnormal indications, prior to the tail rotor contact with the helipad's fence/skirting. The helicopter came to rest in the middle of the platform facing south.

On August 17, 2005, at 1008 central daylight time, a Bell 206L single-engine helicopter, N330P, was substantially damaged when the tail rotor contacted the safety fence while landing on the helipad at the Mustang Island 111 offshore oil platform, located in the Gulf of Mexico. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Air Logistics, LLC of New Iberia, Louisiana. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company visual flight rule (VFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The flight originated from a nearby oil platform, at approximately 1005.

The 2,258-hour pilot reported that he made his approach to the platform, so he would be landing to the east; there was little or no wind. After crossing the helipad skirting, he flared to "zero out my groundspeed". The pilot added that afterhe leveled out the helicopter, "I heard a clunk and saw debris flying around me". He reported there were no vibrations nor any abnormal indications, prior to the landing. After the pilot performed an emergency engine shutdown, the helicopter came to rest in the middle of the platform facing south.

Photographs of the helicopter revealed the vertical fin was completely separated from the tail boom, and both tail rotor blades were sheared-off near the tail rotor.