What happened
On the date of the accident, a helicopter was performing an approach to an improvised landing zone located at a baseball field to retrieve a medical patient. The pilot had previously landed at this same location several days prior and was anticipating encountering blowing dirt during the approach.
As the aircraft descended to approximately 3 feet above ground level and slowed to roughly 10 knots, a dust cloud began to form. A medical crewmember on board reported that the aircraft appeared to be descending faster than normal during the final approach. As the helicopter entered ground effect, significant amounts of dust were stirred up, which reduced visibility. The aircraft made a firm touchdown on the right skid, followed immediately by the left skid. This hard landing resulted in damage to the tail boom.
Findings
- The pilot encountered a dust cloud during the final stages of the approach.
- A medical crewmember observed a descent rate faster than normal.
- There were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures reported by the operator.