Accident Overview
A helicopter was conducting an external load flight in support of firefighting operations. The pilot departed from a nearby helibase with visibility reported at 5 miles under moderate smoky conditions. While en route to a designated landing zone, visibility deteriorated, and the pilot reported difficulty seeing the landing zone. Despite this, the pilot successfully landed at the landing zone without incident and set down a load of supplies.
After Landing and Departure
After landing, ground crew attached a load of firefighting equipment that was to be returned to the helibase. As the pilot transitioned to forward flight to depart from the landing zone, the visibility dropped sharply. The pilot reportedly lost all visual reference. In the area of the landing zone at the time of the accident, visibility was reported to be fluctuating between 1/4 to 1 mile due to smoke.
Impact and Final Rest
The helicopter settled into trees and impacted the ground, coming to rest on its right side. The accident sequence involved the loss of visual reference during a critical phase of flight, leading to the aircraft descending into terrain.