Maneuvering helicopter, bell 206LI, approaching an oil platform for landing, reporter was uncomforta...

Attributes
ACN	340694
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lla
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Iroquois Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	340694
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I fly helicopters for a 135 operator in the gulf of mexico. My primary mission is offshore support to the oil field operators. I was on approach to a small satellite platform, I was trying to maneuver the helicopter around a crane for landing. I decided I did not like the landing area clearance and initiated a go around. On the go around the tail rotor of the helicopter nicked the boom of an extended crane. The helicopter had forward momentum and was flying. I felt no serious control problems and landed straight ahead at another much larger helipad close in front of me without further incident. I then shut the aircraft down and made an inspection then called my lead pilot and notified the company. There were no passenger on board the aircraft at the time of the incident. There were no injuries, but there was minimal damage to the aircraft, and no damage to the crane. We have had many safety meetings and discussions about this incident and how to avoid a recurrence. Contributing factors to this incident include: wind direction and position of crane relative to landing area, pilot's decision to continue approach to low and not initiate the go around sooner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MANEUVERING HELI, BELL 206LI, APCHING AN OIL PLATFORM FOR LNDG, RPTR WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PROX OF A CRANE AND INITIATED A GAR. DURING GAR TAIL ROTOR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CRANE. RPTR WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CTL AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON ANOTHER PLATFORM.

Narrative: I FLY HELIS FOR A 135 OPERATOR IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. MY PRIMARY MISSION IS OFFSHORE SUPPORT TO THE OIL FIELD OPERATORS. I WAS ON APCH TO A SMALL SATELLITE PLATFORM, I WAS TRYING TO MANEUVER THE HELI AROUND A CRANE FOR LNDG. I DECIDED I DID NOT LIKE THE LNDG AREA CLRNC AND INITIATED A GAR. ON THE GAR THE TAIL ROTOR OF THE HELI NICKED THE BOOM OF AN EXTENDED CRANE. THE HELI HAD FORWARD MOMENTUM AND WAS FLYING. I FELT NO SERIOUS CTL PROBS AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT ANOTHER MUCH LARGER HELIPAD CLOSE IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I THEN SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND MADE AN INSPECTION THEN CALLED MY LEAD PLT AND NOTIFIED THE COMPANY. THERE WERE NO PAX ON BOARD THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE CRANE. WE HAVE HAD MANY SAFETY MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND HOW TO AVOID A RECURRENCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT INCLUDE: WIND DIRECTION AND POS OF CRANE RELATIVE TO LNDG AREA, PLT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE APCH TO LOW AND NOT INITIATE THE GAR SOONER.

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.