Incident Overview
A helicopter rolled over onto its right side after the right skid made contact with the ground during a hovering turn. The pilot had been executing an approach for landing to a 10-foot hover when fresh snow, disturbed by the rotor system, obscured the view of the reference point.
Sequence of Events
The pilot completed an approach to a 10-foot hover. At that altitude, snow picked up by the rotor system blocked the pilot's view of the intended landing reference. To regain orientation, the pilot turned the helicopter to establish a new reference point.
During the turn, the pilot stated that the helicopter began to lose altitude and moved both sideways and rearward. Before the pilot could correct the movement, the right skid contacted something—subsequently identified as the ground—and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side.
Conclusion
The helicopter rolled over after the skid contacted the ground during a hovering turn. The pilot had lost visual reference due to snow disturbed by the rotor system.