Helicopter
Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 60; Flight Crew Total 16000; Flight Crew Type 11000
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Human Factors; Weather
While filming a car on a snow track the [helicopter] blade hit the top of a road sign. The road sign was at the end of an oval curve on the right side; the helicopter was turning to the right next to the car. The car we were filming got closer to the helicopter so to keep the separation from the car I turned more to the right causing the blade to touch the road sign as the blade were on an angle.After touching the road sign I immediately assessed the situation; the helicopter was flying properly; but I felt a small vibration; so I decided to land immediately. We checked the 3 blades and 2 were damaged on the leading edge. The third one seems to be okay; but we are sending the 3 blade to the manufacturer for repair and check.The light conditions were poor due to cloud coverage and no sun; we were 15 minutes from sunset which contributed to the incident as I didn't even see the road sign on the right side of the aircraft. The zoom on the camera was not working as it was frozen so I had to be close to the car. I told the director 10 minutes preceding the blade strike that I couldn't see much as they were no contrast and no definition on the ground and was asking when we will stop. He wanted 5 more minutes so I said yes.Clearly I should have call off the flying operations when the light started to diminish and I was losing the definition on the snow. Even with a faulty zoom on the camera system I should have been further away from the car and not trying to compensate with my flying. I know better after all those years. In the future I will listen more to my gut feeling and call it off as soon as my comfort level is in question.
Helicopter pilot reported he clipped the top of a road sign with his rotor blades.