AS55 PLT LANDS ON CLOSED HOSPITAL HELIPAD.

Narrative

AFTER PICKING UP A PATIENT; FLT Z DEPARTED FOR THE HOSPITAL. AFTER INFORMING APCH THAT WE HAD THE HOSPITAL IN SIGHT; RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. WE PROCEEDED TO SET UP FOR OUR APCH INTO THE PAD LOCATED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE EMER ROOM N OF THE HOSPITAL. I HAVE LANDED ON THIS PAD AT LEAST 3 OTHER TIMES; THE LAST VISIT WAS APPROX 4 MONTHS EARLIER. ON FINAL; THE AIR CREW NOTIFIED SATCOM THAT WE WERE ON FINAL. BASED ON THE WINDS; I ELECTED A SW APCH. MY APCH WAS A LITTLE STEEPER THAN NORMAL BECAUSE OF THE LIGHT POLES AND VEHICLES THAT WERE IN THE PARKING LOTS AROUND THE PAD. MY PRIMARY FOCUS DURING THE APCH WAS ON THESE OBSTACLES; NOT DIRECTLY AT THE PAD. ON SHORT FINAL; APPROX 100-150 FT AGL; I NOTICED A PALE YELLOWISH 'X' ACROSS THE PAD. MY AIR CREW DIDN'T NOTICE THE 'X' UNTIL THAT TIME AS WELL. THE PAD WAS CLR AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER WE HAD LANDED; WE WERE TOLD TO REPOS ON THE ROOF PAD SINCE THAT WAS WHERE THE STRETCHER WAS LOCATED. WE DID SO. AFTER LNDG; I TALKED TO HOSPITAL SECURITY AND ADMINISTRATION AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PAD HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR ABOUT A MONTH. I TOLD THEM THAT I DID NOT KNOW THE PAD WAS CLOSED; SINCE I NEVER SAW ANY NOTAM HIGHLIGHTING ITS CLOSURE. I CALLED SATCOM TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NOTAM OR IF THEY HAD ANY INFO ON THE CLOSURE OF THE PAD. THEY DID NOT. I ASKED THE HOSPITAL FOR INFO ON THE NEW PAD. THE HOSPITAL GAVE ME A POINT OF CONTACT WHO DID HAVE SPECS FOR THE NEW ROOF PAD. I RELAYED THE NAME TO SATCOM. SUBSEQUENTLY; SATCOM RELEASED A NOTAM A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. I FEEL 3 THINGS COULD HAVE AVOIDED FLT Z FROM LNDG ON A PAD THAT WAS CLOSED. FIRST; IT IS ULTIMATELY THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BE VIGILANT AND SCAN EVERYTHING SO HE CAN MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ON WHETHER TO LAND ON A PAD OR NOT. AN 'X' ON A LNDG SURFACE; REGARDLESS OF HOW BRIGHT IT IS; CAN ONLY MEAN ONE THING -- THAT LNDG SURFACE IS NOT OPERATIONAL. I'VE BEEN FLYING LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS. WHEN I FIRST NOTICED THE 'X' ON SHORT FINAL; I SHOULD HAVE WAVED OFF AND CALLED SATCOM WHO COULD HAVE CALLED THE HOSPITAL FOR CLARIFICATION. SECOND; IT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE ANY CHANGE TO A FACILITY IS DISSEMINATED QUICKLY TO ALL WHO USE THE FACILITY. THE COMPANY DIDN'T HAVE ANY INFO ON THIS PAD CLOSURE; SO THEY COULDN'T SEND OUT A COMPANY NOTAM. THIRD; I HAVE SEEN SOME HOSPITALS PLACE ORANGE/WHITE CONES ACROSS A PAD TO FURTHER HIGHLIGHT ITS CLOSURE. THIS LNDG TO A CLOSED PAD WAS UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER; HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER REASON FOR THE PAD BEING CLOSED; OTHER THAN RELOCATING IT TO THE ROOF; THE LNDG COULD HAVE ENDED WITH OTHER THAN NORMAL RESULTS.