Accident Sequence
The pilot had landed the helicopter on a prepared area—snow packed down by a heli-ski guide—to embark ski passengers. During departure, the pilot lifted the aircraft to a hover, turned to the desired heading, and initiated forward transition. As the helicopter passed the boundary of the packed snow, the rotor wash disturbed soft, loose snow, which obscured the pilot's visual references. At that point, the aircraft had not yet achieved translational lift, and the engine was operating at maximum torque output, which prevented a climb. The pilot attempted to set the aircraft back down, but the resulting touchdown was a run-on landing. Due to excess forward speed and the soft snow conditions, the helicopter nosed over.
Conditions
The prepared area consisted of snow that had been packed by a heli-ski guide. Beyond this area, loose snow was present. The rotor wash from the departing helicopter lifted this loose snow, creating a loss of visual references for the pilot. The engine was at its maximum torque output, and translational lift had not been attained, limiting the aircraft's ability to climb.