Narrative:

I flew to a fly-in at merrill airport. After establishing communication with airport personnel on 122.8, I asked them where they wanted me to park the helicopter. They wanted me to park on the ramp which is east of runway 34, and to look for a ground personnel in an orange vest to guide me in. I spotted the person and came to a hover in the grass area on the west side of runway 34. I then proceeded to hover taxi east across runway 34 to the south taxiway which led in to the ramp. I continued in to the ramp when the ground personnel gave me a wave-off sign. I was not in radio contact with the ground personnel guiding me in (only with airport personnel in the FBO shack) due to his radio was inoperative. After receiving the wave-off sign, I lifted into a high hover, then proceeded to forward flight to the downwind side of runway 34. I circled several times in the downwind (east side) of the airport while still in communication with airport personnel. I then landed north of the north taxiway, departed a crew member to go talk with the ground personnel (in the orange vest) on where they wanted me to park, which was south of the north taxiway on the grass. After shutdown, I was approached by the owner of aircraft who was extremely angry, stating that I damaged his aircraft with my rotor downwash. His wingtip struck the ground and his ELT antenna also broke. His aircraft was not tied down. In the future, I will ensure that aircraft are either tied down or a safe enough distance away before I hover taxi in to the ramp area. Also, a predesignated landing area would help to avoid this situation. Hence coordination with airport personnel prior to a fly-in on what is needed for a safe lz and also safe ingress/egress rtes to the lz, would help to avoid future similar sits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELI ROTOR DOWNWASH DAMAGED A PARKED ACFT DURING HOVER TAXI AT 5W15.

Narrative: I FLEW TO A FLY-IN AT MERRILL ARPT. AFTER ESTABLISHING COM WITH ARPT PERSONNEL ON 122.8, I ASKED THEM WHERE THEY WANTED ME TO PARK THE HELI. THEY WANTED ME TO PARK ON THE RAMP WHICH IS E OF RWY 34, AND TO LOOK FOR A GND PERSONNEL IN AN ORANGE VEST TO GUIDE ME IN. I SPOTTED THE PERSON AND CAME TO A HOVER IN THE GRASS AREA ON THE W SIDE OF RWY 34. I THEN PROCEEDED TO HOVER TAXI E ACROSS RWY 34 TO THE S TXWY WHICH LED IN TO THE RAMP. I CONTINUED IN TO THE RAMP WHEN THE GND PERSONNEL GAVE ME A WAVE-OFF SIGN. I WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH THE GND PERSONNEL GUIDING ME IN (ONLY WITH ARPT PERSONNEL IN THE FBO SHACK) DUE TO HIS RADIO WAS INOP. AFTER RECEIVING THE WAVE-OFF SIGN, I LIFTED INTO A HIGH HOVER, THEN PROCEEDED TO FORWARD FLT TO THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF RWY 34. I CIRCLED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE DOWNWIND (E SIDE) OF THE ARPT WHILE STILL IN COM WITH ARPT PERSONNEL. I THEN LANDED N OF THE N TXWY, DEPARTED A CREW MEMBER TO GO TALK WITH THE GND PERSONNEL (IN THE ORANGE VEST) ON WHERE THEY WANTED ME TO PARK, WHICH WAS S OF THE N TXWY ON THE GRASS. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I WAS APCHED BY THE OWNER OF ACFT WHO WAS EXTREMELY ANGRY, STATING THAT I DAMAGED HIS ACFT WITH MY ROTOR DOWNWASH. HIS WINGTIP STRUCK THE GND AND HIS ELT ANTENNA ALSO BROKE. HIS ACFT WAS NOT TIED DOWN. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ENSURE THAT ACFT ARE EITHER TIED DOWN OR A SAFE ENOUGH DISTANCE AWAY BEFORE I HOVER TAXI IN TO THE RAMP AREA. ALSO, A PREDESIGNATED LNDG AREA WOULD HELP TO AVOID THIS SIT. HENCE COORD WITH ARPT PERSONNEL PRIOR TO A FLY-IN ON WHAT IS NEEDED FOR A SAFE LZ AND ALSO SAFE INGRESS/EGRESS RTES TO THE LZ, WOULD HELP TO AVOID FUTURE SIMILAR SITS.

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.