What happened
On the day of the accident, a solo commercial certificated helicopter pilot was performing a repositioning maneuver within a parking lot being utilized for loading skiers. While the pilot was maintaining a hover, a "door aert" light illuminated on the aircraft's enunciator panel. This illumination caused a momentary distraction for the pilot.
During this period of distraction, the helicopter drifted toward the rear. As a result, the main rotor blades struck a sign post. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection of the main rotor blades was conducted, which revealed damage to two of the three main rotor blades. Following an evaluation by a repair station on April 25, it was determined that one main rotor blade was unairworthy and could not be repaired. The operator reported that there were no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the impact.