Incident
The helicopter experienced a hard landing at night while attempting to land at an unlighted drill rig site. The pilot had contacted the rig via radio to request that lights be turned on, but they were not activated.
Pilot Actions
Despite the lack of lighting, the pilot proceeded with the landing. During the approach, blowing snow generated by the rotor wash reduced visibility. The pilot misjudged the altitude, resulting in the helicopter striking the landing area hard and with greater forward speed than anticipated.
Pilot Statement
The pilot later stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had waited for the lights at the rig site to be turned on before attempting to land.