Narrative:

I was asked to fly a mechanic from an offshore platform to another one to fix a grounded aircraft. I was informed by telephone that the pilot of the grounded aircraft said there was plenty of room to land. Upon arrival at the platform I observed the grounded aircraft parked midway between the upwind and downwind sides of the helipad on the southern side. There was a main rotor tie-down on one of the blades (4 bladed aircraft) on the front pilot's side. Due to the position of the parked aircraft's main rotor blades, the presence of a stairwell near where my tailrotor would be if I landed short, and my mechanic's need for access to his toolbox in the aft baggage compartment, I made my approach and landing so that my main rotor disc would be in the void created between 2 of the other aircraft's stationary blades. After landing and retarding throttles to flight idle, I advised the mechanic to exercise caution in getting out of the aircraft. As he started to leave, the forward blade of the other aircraft rotated into the plane of my turning rotors, striking 2 blades. I had violated company policy of always having 13 ft of blade clearance to the nearest fixed obstruction. Upon landing, there was 5 ft of clearance. When the other aircraft blade rotated, it eliminated that 5 ft. My judgement was poor for deciding to land when there was obviously not 13 ft of clearance. The only pressure put on me was by myself for wanting to help get a grounded aircraft operational. Had the pilot of the other aircraft parked farther forward, put on more than 1 blade tie-down, or applied the rotor brake, this could have been avoided altogether, just as it could have been had I decided not to land.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX ROTARY WINGED TFC LANDS ON HELIPAD IN AN OFFSHORE OP IN CLOSE PROX TO A PARKED ATX HELI. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE 2 MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT. BOTH ACFT DAMAGED.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO FLY A MECH FROM AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM TO ANOTHER ONE TO FIX A GNDED ACFT. I WAS INFORMED BY TELEPHONE THAT THE PLT OF THE GNDED ACFT SAID THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO LAND. UPON ARR AT THE PLATFORM I OBSERVED THE GNDED ACFT PARKED MIDWAY BTWN THE UPWIND AND DOWNWIND SIDES OF THE HELIPAD ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE. THERE WAS A MAIN ROTOR TIE-DOWN ON ONE OF THE BLADES (4 BLADED ACFT) ON THE FRONT PLT'S SIDE. DUE TO THE POS OF THE PARKED ACFT'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES, THE PRESENCE OF A STAIRWELL NEAR WHERE MY TAILROTOR WOULD BE IF I LANDED SHORT, AND MY MECH'S NEED FOR ACCESS TO HIS TOOLBOX IN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, I MADE MY APCH AND LNDG SO THAT MY MAIN ROTOR DISC WOULD BE IN THE VOID CREATED BTWN 2 OF THE OTHER ACFT'S STATIONARY BLADES. AFTER LNDG AND RETARDING THROTTLES TO FLT IDLE, I ADVISED THE MECH TO EXERCISE CAUTION IN GETTING OUT OF THE ACFT. AS HE STARTED TO LEAVE, THE FORWARD BLADE OF THE OTHER ACFT ROTATED INTO THE PLANE OF MY TURNING ROTORS, STRIKING 2 BLADES. I HAD VIOLATED COMPANY POLICY OF ALWAYS HAVING 13 FT OF BLADE CLRNC TO THE NEAREST FIXED OBSTRUCTION. UPON LNDG, THERE WAS 5 FT OF CLRNC. WHEN THE OTHER ACFT BLADE ROTATED, IT ELIMINATED THAT 5 FT. MY JUDGEMENT WAS POOR FOR DECIDING TO LAND WHEN THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT 13 FT OF CLRNC. THE ONLY PRESSURE PUT ON ME WAS BY MYSELF FOR WANTING TO HELP GET A GNDED ACFT OPERATIONAL. HAD THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT PARKED FARTHER FORWARD, PUT ON MORE THAN 1 BLADE TIE-DOWN, OR APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ALTOGETHER, JUST AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN HAD I DECIDED NOT TO LAND.

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.