On July 11, 1983, a Bell 212 (registration N16989) was involved in an aviation accident near Eugene Island. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to execute a pedal turn during approach, which resulted in the tail rotor blades contacting a crane located near the heliport. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter pilot executed a pedal turn to avoid a stairwell during approach to an offshore oil well heliport, resulting in the tail rotor blades striking a nearby crane.
What happened
The aircraft was conducting an approach to an offshore oil well heliport. During the final phase of the landing maneuver, the pilot determined that the helicopter's tail rotor was positioned too close to a stairwell structure associated with the facility. To mitigate this proximity concern, the pilot initiated a pedal turn to the right.
During the execution of this turn, the rotating blades of the tail rotor made contact with a crane. The crane was situated approximately 15 feet from the heliport area. Following the impact, the pilot maintained control and performed a hovering autorotation back onto the helipad without further incident.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to execute a pedal turn during approach, which resulted in the tail rotor blades contacting a crane located near the heliport.