Bell 222B N309CH accident near Gulf Of Mexico, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstructions while landing on a shipboard helipad.

NTSB analysis

While landing on the “winch only” deck of a ship at anchor in the Gulf of Mexico, the helicopter’s tail rotor struck a valve assembly protruding from the ship’s deck. The helicopter yawed approximately 60 degrees nose-right, then struck the ship’s side rail with the helicopter’s tail and came to rest upright on the deck. There was substantial damage to the helicopter’s fuselage, tail boom, horizontal stabilizer, tail rotor blades, tail rotor hub, and tail rotor gearbox. The pilot and four passengers were not injured and exited the helicopter normally through the doors on the right side of the helicopter. There were no injuries to any of the persons on board the ship.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09LA252 for the full record.