Airbus Helicopters EC 135P2+ crash near Ringsted, Zealand, Denmark

On short final during a night visual approach to the helipad at Ringsted, the air ambulance inadvertently entered instrument conditions and struck a field northeast of the aerodrome. The crew followed go-around procedures, got airborne again and diverted without further incident. The investigation identified a less than optimum pre-flight weather briefing; a plan to fly a shallow approach under visual rules with low fog and fog patches; difficulty assessing height and depth on night vision goggles; loss of situational awareness through visual illusions; and NVG whiteout at low altitude.