Accident Details
A helicopter pilot was searching for a group to pick up at a designated point. When he realized the group had not yet arrived, he decided to land at an alternate location to wait. The pilot had previously landed at this location, though not on the day of the accident. He reported good visibility but noted that overcast conditions prevented shadows.
Pilot Actions
The approach was normal. The pilot used a small pine tree to the right front quarter of the helicopter as a reference point. As the helicopter touched down, a loud noise was heard, and the helicopter yawed. Believing a mechanical failure had occurred, the pilot lowered the collective control and closed the throttle.
Postaccident Findings
A postaccident inspection revealed no mechanical failure. Instead, the pilot had not seen the snow-covered slope to the left front quarter of the helicopter. The main rotor blades struck the ground surface, and the helicopter settled into deep snow. The transmission separated from its mounts, the main rotor blades were destroyed, and the tail boom was severed.