What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 26 December 2023 at approximately 1046 a AS350 helicopter with 6 passengers departed on a site seeing tour. The destination was a company approved landing site named colony rock. The aircraft arrived at the proposed landing site at approximately 1047. A high and low recon of the landing site were conducted at which time the presence of flat light conditions was noted. An approach to the northwest was initiated which then terminated to a 20 foot in ground effect hover. Once it appeared that enough snow had been dissipated by the rotor wash, the pilot initiated a final descent from the high hover. During the descent the aircraft encountered white out conditions and began to drift to the left and rear. This drift was not perceived by the pilot in command. When the left skid touched the ground, the unperceived drift caused the aircraft to roll to the left and rear. The aircraft rolled over coming to rest on its left side sustaining substantial damage. At approximately 1049 a distress signal was sent using the on-aircraft system and passenger evacuation was initiated by the pilot in command. Because of the excessive response time by the airforce the company chose to conduct an internal evacuation of passengers and crew. 2 passengers sustained minor injuries. They were transported to the hospital and were released later that day. The remaining passengers were transported by company aircraft back to the point of departure. Evacuations were complete by 1140. The PIC had recently received recurrent training on operating in flat light/white out conditions and was familiar with the landing site.
As the FAA filed it
ON 26 DECEMBER 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1046 A AS350 HELICOPTER WITH 6 PASSENGERS DEPARTED ON A SITE SEEING TOUR. THE DESTINATION WAS A COMPANY APPROVED LANDING SITE NAMED COLONY ROCK. THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT THE PROPOSED LANDING SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1047. A HIGH AND LOW RECON OF THE LANDING SITE WERE CONDUCTED AT WHICH TIME THE PRESENCE OF FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS WAS NOTED. AN APPROACH TO THE NORTHWEST WAS INITIATED WHICH THEN TERMINATED TO A 20 FOOT IN GROUND EFFECT HOVER. ONCE IT APPEARED THAT ENOUGH SNOW HAD BEEN DISSIPATED BY THE ROTOR WASH, THE PILOT INITIATED A FINAL DESCENT FROM THE HIGH HOVER. DURING THE DESCENT THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AND BEGAN TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND REAR. THIS DRIFT WAS NOT PERCEIVED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. WHEN THE LEFT SKID TOUCHED THE GROUND, THE UNPERCEIVED DRIFT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL TO THE LEFT AND REAR. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1049 A DISTRESS SIGNAL WAS SENT USING THE ON-AIRCRAFT SYSTEM AND PASSENGER EVACUATION WAS INITIATED BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RESPONSE TIME BY THE AIRFORCE THE COMPANY CHOSE TO CONDUCT AN INTERNAL EVACUATION OF PASSENGERS AND CREW. 2 PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THEY WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND WERE RELEASED LATER THAT DAY. THE REMAINING PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED BY COMPANY AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE POINT OF DEPARTURE. EVACUATIONS WERE COMPLETE BY 1140. THE PIC HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED RECURRENT TRAINING ON OPERATING IN FLAT LIGHT/WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE LANDING SITE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.