Incident Overview
An offshore oil platform worker was seriously injured after walking into the turning tail rotor blades of a helicopter on the platform. The incident occurred shortly after the helicopter had landed and while the pilot was attempting to reposition the aircraft.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he landed the helicopter on the platform with the tail rotor positioned over a stairwell. This was done to land into the wind and avoid a crane that was operating on the platform. The helicopter was still 'light on the skids,' meaning it had not fully settled onto the landing gear. The pilot then began to reposition the helicopter so that the tail rotor would no longer be over the stairwell.
Simultaneously, the rear passenger began to exit the helicopter without receiving authorization from the pilot. The pilot, upon noticing this, terminated the repositioning by lowering the collective and rolling the throttle to the idle position. A few seconds later, the pilot felt a 'nick in the pedals.' Subsequently, one of the passengers notified the pilot that someone had walked into the tail rotor blades. The helicopter was not damaged.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that he initiated the repositioning to move the tail rotor away from the stairwell. He did not indicate to the passengers that he intended to reposition the aircraft.
Passenger Accounts
According to the passengers, the pilot never informed them of his intention to reposition the helicopter. Both passengers exited the helicopter upon hearing the engine power 'spool down.' The front seat passenger was helping the other passenger unload cargo from the helicopter and observed the worker come up the steps into the turning blades.