Narrative:

Parked on a spot of the west 30TH street heliport, in IMC. We were asked if we would like to repos to a spot closer to a passenger pick-up point. I agreed to do so. We elected to air taxi instead of ground taxi. The wind was on our nose quadrant. We were facing west toward the hudson river, the wind as 300-310 degrees at 20 KTS, gusting to 30 KTS. During the repos, we both felt a buffeting of the helicopter, followed by a command from the heliport unicom about a second later to 'move up.' we landed and upon inspection, found that the tail rotor had impacted the top bar of a chain link fence at the perimeter of the heliport landing area. This occurred at night, with gusting winds, in a confined area that was known to both pilots. Both pilots were fully qualified, highly experienced, and had elected to air taxi vice ground taxi to the new spot. I believe that the sun, from forward to side, at night, combined with a gusting wind, contributed to a backward drift of the aircraft that neither pilot perceived until radioed by the heliport operator. Upon reflection, we would not air taxi to the spot at night given the option to ground taxi. I would also conduct a more thorough brief between pilots considering clrncs of/in confined areas, duties of such to scan front and side for evidence of drift, and discussion of wind factors causing potential momentary instability -- if such winds are present. There was no damage to any other aircraft or person, no injuries involved. The helicopter had 4 tail rotor blades replaced, a main rotor tip cap replaced, damaged by flying debris, and 2 areas of the helicopter slightly punctured by flying debris.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC REPOSITIONING S76 MISJUDGE IMPACT OF GUSTING WINDS AND CONTACT TAIL ROTOR WITH FENCING. DEBRIS CAUSES OTHER ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: PARKED ON A SPOT OF THE W 30TH STREET HELIPORT, IN IMC. WE WERE ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE TO REPOS TO A SPOT CLOSER TO A PAX PICK-UP POINT. I AGREED TO DO SO. WE ELECTED TO AIR TAXI INSTEAD OF GND TAXI. THE WIND WAS ON OUR NOSE QUADRANT. WE WERE FACING W TOWARD THE HUDSON RIVER, THE WIND AS 300-310 DEGS AT 20 KTS, GUSTING TO 30 KTS. DURING THE REPOS, WE BOTH FELT A BUFFETING OF THE HELI, FOLLOWED BY A COMMAND FROM THE HELIPORT UNICOM ABOUT A SECOND LATER TO 'MOVE UP.' WE LANDED AND UPON INSPECTION, FOUND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR HAD IMPACTED THE TOP BAR OF A CHAIN LINK FENCE AT THE PERIMETER OF THE HELIPORT LNDG AREA. THIS OCCURRED AT NIGHT, WITH GUSTING WINDS, IN A CONFINED AREA THAT WAS KNOWN TO BOTH PLTS. BOTH PLTS WERE FULLY QUALIFIED, HIGHLY EXPERIENCED, AND HAD ELECTED TO AIR TAXI VICE GND TAXI TO THE NEW SPOT. I BELIEVE THAT THE SUN, FROM FORWARD TO SIDE, AT NIGHT, COMBINED WITH A GUSTING WIND, CONTRIBUTED TO A BACKWARD DRIFT OF THE ACFT THAT NEITHER PLT PERCEIVED UNTIL RADIOED BY THE HELIPORT OPERATOR. UPON REFLECTION, WE WOULD NOT AIR TAXI TO THE SPOT AT NIGHT GIVEN THE OPTION TO GND TAXI. I WOULD ALSO CONDUCT A MORE THOROUGH BRIEF BTWN PLTS CONSIDERING CLRNCS OF/IN CONFINED AREAS, DUTIES OF SUCH TO SCAN FRONT AND SIDE FOR EVIDENCE OF DRIFT, AND DISCUSSION OF WIND FACTORS CAUSING POTENTIAL MOMENTARY INSTABILITY -- IF SUCH WINDS ARE PRESENT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANY OTHER ACFT OR PERSON, NO INJURIES INVOLVED. THE HELI HAD 4 TAIL ROTOR BLADES REPLACED, A MAIN ROTOR TIP CAP REPLACED, DAMAGED BY FLYING DEBRIS, AND 2 AREAS OF THE HELI SLIGHTLY PUNCTURED BY FLYING DEBRIS.

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.