MANEUVERING HELI; BELL 206LI; APCHING AN OIL PLATFORM FOR LNDG; RPTR WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH PROX OF A CRANE AND INITIATED A GAR. DURING GAR TAIL ROTOR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CRANE. RPTR WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CTL AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON ANOTHER PLATFORM.

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I FLY HELIS FOR A 135 OPERATOR IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. MY PRIMARY MISSION IS OFFSHORE SUPPORT TO THE OIL FIELD OPERATORS. I WAS ON APCH TO A SMALL SATELLITE PLATFORM; I WAS TRYING TO MANEUVER THE HELI AROUND A CRANE FOR LNDG. I DECIDED I DID NOT LIKE THE LNDG AREA CLRNC AND INITIATED A GAR. ON THE GAR THE TAIL ROTOR OF THE HELI NICKED THE BOOM OF AN EXTENDED CRANE. THE HELI HAD FORWARD MOMENTUM AND WAS FLYING. I FELT NO SERIOUS CTL PROBS AND LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT ANOTHER MUCH LARGER HELIPAD CLOSE IN FRONT OF ME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I THEN SHUT THE ACFT DOWN AND MADE AN INSPECTION THEN CALLED MY LEAD PLT AND NOTIFIED THE COMPANY. THERE WERE NO PAX ON BOARD THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; BUT THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT; AND NO DAMAGE TO THE CRANE. WE HAVE HAD MANY SAFETY MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AND HOW TO AVOID A RECURRENCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT INCLUDE: WIND DIRECTION AND POS OF CRANE RELATIVE TO LNDG AREA; PLT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE APCH TO LOW AND NOT INITIATE THE GAR SOONER.