EC145
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 5584; Flight Crew Type 695
Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle; Ground Incursion Runway
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors
A snowplow drove onto the runway while our helicopter was on short final. The pilot at the controls announced on CTAF we were inbound to runway 17; then announced we were on a right base to runway 17. At his point the road-grader type snowplow was driving north; clearing the west side of runway 17. The pilot announced we would enter a left 360-degree turn; then initiated the maneuver. During the turn the snowplow had exited the runway and was working on taxiway A1. When we turned back onto the final approach the snowplow was still clearing the taxiway; but working back toward the runway. As we passed below 200 feet AGL the snowplow entered the runway in front of us. We side-stepped to the parallel taxiway and continued the approach to landing on the taxiway. It appeared the snowplow did not have a radio and was unaware of our approach until after he entered the runway in front of us.
EC145 helicopter pilot reported abandoning his approach below 200 feet AGL when a snowplow drove onto the runway.