What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 15, 2022, privacy data omitted as 350 B2 N99676 suffered substantial damage as a result of impacting terrain just prior to landing at the pilots intended spot. During the investigatory interview with the pilot, it was discovered that the primary root cause of the accident was the result of flat light conditions preventing the pilot from seeing a ridgeline of snow just prior to the intended landing point. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilots failure to set the radar altimeter correctly which may have prevented the accident. At the time of the accident the radar altimeter was set to zero preventing any prior notification to impact.
The poi and the operator have agreed to send out a company memo reminding pilots to set the radar altimeter correctly in heli-ski operations and in all other potentially flat-light scenario flying.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 15, 2022, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS 350 B2 N99676 SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF IMPACTING TERRAIN JUST PRIOR TO LANDING AT THE PILOTS INTENDED SPOT. DURING THE INVESTIGATORY INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PRIMARY ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS PREVENTING THE PILOT FROM SEEING A RIDGELINE OF SNOW JUST PRIOR TO THE INTENDED LANDING POINT. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS FAILURE TO SET THE RADAR ALTIMETER CORRECTLY WHICH MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE RADAR ALTIMETER WAS SET TO ZERO PREVENTING ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION TO IMPACT.
THE POI AND THE OPERATOR HAVE AGREED TO SEND OUT A COMPANY MEMO REMINDING PILOTS TO SET THE RADAR ALTIMETER CORRECTLY IN HELI-SKI OPERATIONS AND IN ALL OTHER POTENTIALLY FLAT-LIGHT SCENARIO FLYING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.