What happened
A commercial pilot was operating a helicopter to transport skiers to a remote mountain location. The area had received approximately 6 inches of light, powdery snow the previous day. Prior to the accident, the pilot had successfully transported a group of photographers to the mountain summit and was returning to the base of the mountain to collect the next group of skiers.
As the helicopter approached the landing area in a hover, the pilot encountered whiteout conditions caused by blowing snow. This resulted in a loss of all visual references. During this period of disorientation, the aircraft drifted to the right, causing the right skid to strike the snow. The impact caused the helicopter to roll onto its right side. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its fuselage, tail boom, and drive train components. There were no injuries reported.