Flight crew ground taxiing helicopter at west 30TH heliport. Rotor tips hit fence.

Attributes
ACN	165826
Time
Date	199012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jra
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	165826
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	166162
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Landed at west 30TH st heliport in nyc to refuel and park for several hours. As I was ground taxiing for parking from fuel deck to assigned parking, I taxied a bit to the right to turn left into parking space. I had to look up and to my right into the bright sun. At this time the main rotor blade tip struck barbed wire at the top of a chain link fence, breaking 2 strands of barbed wire, damaging the support bracket and breaking a wire for an outside speaker. The ends of the 4 fiberglass tip caps were damaged on helicopter. Looking into the bright sun obscured vision. The barbed wire at the top of fence slanted in instead of out. The wire strands, as well as fence, had no markings to make it stand out. In future similar situation, I would use ground personnel if available or have copilot exit aircraft and give guidance. Perhaps a line painted on ramp running parallel to fence to warn when getting too close.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW GND TAXIING HELICOPTER AT W 30TH HELIPORT. ROTOR TIPS HIT FENCE.

Narrative: LANDED AT W 30TH ST HELIPORT IN NYC TO REFUEL AND PARK FOR SEVERAL HRS. AS I WAS GND TAXIING FOR PARKING FROM FUEL DECK TO ASSIGNED PARKING, I TAXIED A BIT TO THE RIGHT TO TURN LEFT INTO PARKING SPACE. I HAD TO LOOK UP AND TO MY RIGHT INTO THE BRIGHT SUN. AT THIS TIME THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIP STRUCK BARBED WIRE AT THE TOP OF A CHAIN LINK FENCE, BREAKING 2 STRANDS OF BARBED WIRE, DAMAGING THE SUPPORT BRACKET AND BREAKING A WIRE FOR AN OUTSIDE SPEAKER. THE ENDS OF THE 4 FIBERGLASS TIP CAPS WERE DAMAGED ON HELI. LOOKING INTO THE BRIGHT SUN OBSCURED VISION. THE BARBED WIRE AT THE TOP OF FENCE SLANTED IN INSTEAD OF OUT. THE WIRE STRANDS, AS WELL AS FENCE, HAD NO MARKINGS TO MAKE IT STAND OUT. IN FUTURE SIMILAR SITUATION, I WOULD USE GND PERSONNEL IF AVAILABLE OR HAVE COPLT EXIT ACFT AND GIVE GUIDANCE. PERHAPS A LINE PAINTED ON RAMP RUNNING PARALLEL TO FENCE TO WARN WHEN GETTING TOO CLOSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.