Incident Overview
A single-engine helicopter was conducting a round-robin flight between two offshore oil platforms. During the return flight, the pilot heard an unusual noise followed by pronounced roughness in the tail rotor system. After a few seconds, the roughness decreased, and the pilot determined that the tail rotor was still functional. The helicopter landed without further incident.
Post-Flight Inspection
Following landing, the pilot performed a post-flight inspection and discovered a metal wire wrapped around both sides of the tail rotor. Subsequent examination revealed structural damage to the tail rotor blades, the tail boom, and the lower portion of the vertical fin assembly, including the tail skid.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot's statement, a 3-foot-by-4-foot sunshade used to protect the cockpit windows departed the helicopter during the flight. The pilot reported that he had failed to properly secure the sunshade prior to takeoff, which inadvertently exited an open window and became entangled in the tail rotor system. The 11,944-hour airline transport rated pilot reported having accumulated 375 hours in the same make and model helicopter.