Narrative:

Spot 3 helicopter X pilot walked his blades 90 degrees to the cockpit prior to starting to enter helicopter. As spot 2 helicopter Y flew to his spot 2 for shutdown, his rotor downwash may have caused spot 3 helicopter's (X) blade to go off of the 90 degree start position. The start cycle was performed on spot 3 X helicopter as spot 2 helicopter was at flight idle for 2 mins cool down. As rotor speed increased on spot 3 helicopter contact (blade) was made. Shutdown followed on both helicopters and blade damage resulted. Poor judgement by both pilots. Supplemental information from acn 143248: rotor blade contact was made when adjacent helicopter X attempted start before my helicopter Y was fully shut down and secured. Parking plan was not adhered to and rules of the road, not to have 2 adjacent helicopters running simultaneously, was not followed. Chain of events including 1 helicopter parked abnormally, bag carts and equipment, ramp congestion and traffic led to deviation from parking plan by one, then another helicopter. Lack of communication within other organizations about parking plan and importance of the plan resulted in small uneventful infractions until there was a more real 'fracture in the blade.' the pilot appeared to be having the proverbial bad day with other distrs and aggravations which clouded the decision making process. As in dancing, if you don't follow the planned steps, someone's toes get stepped on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX HELICOPTER PARKING OPERATING SPOTS AND NONADHERENCE TO AGREED OPERATING PROCS LEADS TO ROTOR STRIKE AND INTRAMURAL DISAGREEMENT.

Narrative: SPOT 3 HELI X PLT WALKED HIS BLADES 90 DEGS TO THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO STARTING TO ENTER HELI. AS SPOT 2 HELI Y FLEW TO HIS SPOT 2 FOR SHUTDOWN, HIS ROTOR DOWNWASH MAY HAVE CAUSED SPOT 3 HELI'S (X) BLADE TO GO OFF OF THE 90 DEG START POS. THE START CYCLE WAS PERFORMED ON SPOT 3 X HELI AS SPOT 2 HELI WAS AT FLT IDLE FOR 2 MINS COOL DOWN. AS ROTOR SPD INCREASED ON SPOT 3 HELI CONTACT (BLADE) WAS MADE. SHUTDOWN FOLLOWED ON BOTH HELIS AND BLADE DAMAGE RESULTED. POOR JUDGEMENT BY BOTH PLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 143248: ROTOR BLADE CONTACT WAS MADE WHEN ADJACENT HELI X ATTEMPTED START BEFORE MY HELI Y WAS FULLY SHUT DOWN AND SECURED. PARKING PLAN WAS NOT ADHERED TO AND RULES OF THE ROAD, NOT TO HAVE 2 ADJACENT HELIS RUNNING SIMULTANEOUSLY, WAS NOT FOLLOWED. CHAIN OF EVENTS INCLUDING 1 HELI PARKED ABNORMALLY, BAG CARTS AND EQUIP, RAMP CONGESTION AND TFC LED TO DEVIATION FROM PARKING PLAN BY ONE, THEN ANOTHER HELI. LACK OF COM WITHIN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT PARKING PLAN AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PLAN RESULTED IN SMALL UNEVENTFUL INFRACTIONS UNTIL THERE WAS A MORE REAL 'FRACTURE IN THE BLADE.' THE PLT APPEARED TO BE HAVING THE PROVERBIAL BAD DAY WITH OTHER DISTRS AND AGGRAVATIONS WHICH CLOUDED THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. AS IN DANCING, IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE PLANNED STEPS, SOMEONE'S TOES GET STEPPED ON.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.