Incident Overview
A helicopter pilot reported a contact incident during a hover-taxi maneuver at a helicopter pad. According to the pilot, he flew a normal approach to the pad before transitioning to a hover-taxi toward the parking area. Two other helicopters were already parked at the far edges on opposite sides of the parking area.
Maneuver Execution
Following a procedure that had been developed over the previous 10 years and executed more than 20 times without incident, the pilot hover-taxied into the center position between the parked helicopters. He began a pedal turn to align his helicopter with the others. Approximately 90 degrees through the pedal turn, the tail rotor of the pilot's helicopter contacted a main rotor blade tip of one of the parked helicopters.
Damage and Outcome
The contact resulted in substantial damage to a tail rotor blade on the pilot's helicopter. Despite the damage, the pilot completed the pedal turn and landed uneventfully. The pilot did not report any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Additional Information
The incident occurred during daylight hours under visual flight rules. No other details regarding the specific location or aircraft type were provided.