What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: omniflight helicopters, inc. provided pilot counseling and additional training that included flight operations in snow. The pilot was on a routine medivac flight for the Caro community hospital. The hospital does not have an approved helipad and previous flight operations were conducted using a field across the street as the designated landing area. The hospital recently designated a portion of a circular driveway area on hospital property for helicopter landings, and this was the first flight to use the new landing site. Just prior to touch-down the pilot was advised by hospital personnel to land at an alternate location on hospital grounds. Using the ground as a reference to maintain position, the pilot established a hover approximately 10 feet AGL at the original landing site while trying to determine the feasibility of landing at the alternate site. During the hover an excessive amount of snow was being blown by the rotors which partially obscured the pilot's view of the ground. While hovering, a paramedic crew member grabbed the pilot's arm and advised him to watch out for a light pole on the right side of the helicopter. The paramedic's actions startled the pilot and caused him to momentarily redirect his attention from outside and lose his point of reference. The helicopter drifted and struck an aluminum portion of the light assembly for the hospital parking area. The pilot immediately landed without further incident. Helicopter damage was confined to the rotor blades. The paramedic hit his helmet on the left window frame during the incident and underwent precautionary testing as an outpatient before being released by the hospital.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: OMNIFLIGHT HELICOPTERS, INC. PROVIDED PILOT COUNSELING AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING THAT INCLUDED FLIGHT OPERATIONS IN SNOW. THE PILOT WAS ON A ROUTINE MEDIVAC FLIGHT FOR THE CARO COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DOES NOT HAVE AN APPROVED HELIPAD AND PREVIOUS FLIGHT OPERATIONS WERE CONDUCTED USING A FIELD ACROSS THE STREET AS THE DESIGNATED LANDING AREA. THE HOSPITAL RECENTLY DESIGNATED A PORTION OF A CIRCULAR DRIVEWAY AREA ON HOSPITAL PROPERTY FOR HELICOPTER LANDINGS, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT TO USE THE NEW LANDING SITE. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCH-DOWN THE PILOT WAS ADVISED BY HOSPITAL PERSONNEL TO LAND AT AN ALTERNATE LOCATION ON HOSPITAL GROUNDS. USING THE GROUND AS A REFERENCE TO MAINTAIN POSITION, THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A HOVER APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AGL AT THE ORIGINAL LANDING SITE WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF LANDING AT THE ALTERNATE SITE. DURING THE HOVER AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SNOW WAS BEING BLOWN BY THE ROTORS WHICH PARTIALLY OBSCURED THE PILOT'S VIEW OF THE GROUND. WHILE HOVERING, A PARAMEDIC CREW MEMBER GRABBED THE PILOT'S ARM AND ADVISED HIM TO WATCH OUT FOR A LIGHT POLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER. THE PARAMEDIC'S ACTIONS STARTLED THE PILOT AND CAUSED HIM TO MOMENTARILY REDIRECT HIS ATTENTION FROM OUTSIDE AND LOSE HIS POINT OF REFERENCE. THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED AND STRUCK AN ALUMINUM PORTION OF THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY FOR THE HOSPITAL PARKING AREA. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. HELICOPTER DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE ROTOR BLADES. THE PARAMEDIC HIT HIS HELMET ON THE LEFT WINDOW FRAME DURING THE INCIDENT AND UNDERWENT PRECAUTIONARY TESTING AS AN OUTPATIENT BEFORE BEING RELEASED BY THE HOSPITAL.