FTW03LA178

The pilot made a "normal" approach into the wind to the center of an off-shore helipad and was terminating to a 4 to 5-foot hover. As the pilot leveled the helicopter to set it down on the deck, he heard a loud "metal crunching" noise coming from the rear of the aircraft. The helicopter began rotating to the left and drifting rearward. The pilot was able to set the helicopter on the deck after it made about 1.5 revolutions. The pilot reported that the wind was from 120 degrees at 10 knots. An examination of the landing area, by an FAA inspector, revealed damage to the safety fence that was consistent with tail rotor contact.

On July 7, 2003, at 1822 central daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS350BA single-engine helicopter, N147BH, was substantially damaged when the tail rotor contacted the safety fence while landing on the helipad for the Ship Shoal 80 offshore oil platform, located in the Gulf of Mexico. The helicopter was registered to CFS Air LLC of Danbury, Connecticut, and was being operated by Texair Helicopters, Inc., of Houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were 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 135 domestic on-demand air taxi flight. The flight originated from the nearby Ship Shoal 79 helipad, at 1809.

The 8,800 hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that he made a "normal" approach into the wind to the center of the helipad and was terminating his approach at a 4 to 5-foot hover. The pilot added that as he leveled the helicopter to set it down on the deck, he heard a loud "metal crunching" noise coming from the rear of the aircraft. The helicopter began rotating to the left and drifting rearward. The helicopter made about 1.5 revolutions before contacting the deck. After deck contact, the helicopter continued to drift to the left. The pilot stopped the drift, and the helicopter came to rest upright. The pilot further reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was from 120 degrees at 10 knots.

According to the FAA inspector, who traveled to the accident site, the tail boom was partially separated aft of the horizontal stabilizer, and both tail rotor blades were separated near the hub. An examination of the landing area, revealed damage to the safety fence that was consistent with tail rotor contact.