Gear Box Chip Light on EC120 - Land as soon as possible, or Land immediately?

[Swiss Cheese]

Has this warning light come on this PM, 2000ft over the Dorking gap. Obviously we did not know whether it was MGB or TGB as the warning light does not differentiate.

Gingerly returned to EGKR on reduced power. (landing as soon as possible as per POH).

MGB chip detector plug showed small filaments of unidentified metal, so it worked. Awaiting engineers view on next steps.

Why is the POH recommended action a land as soon as possible instruction, when things could get considerably worse very swiftly?

Interested to hear all views.

[J.A.F.O.]

Doesn't land as soon as possible mean and land without delay at the nearest adequate site at which a safe approach to land can be made?

That is a bit open to interpretation but I'm not sure I'd return to EGKR (wherever that might be) if there was an adequate landing site between me and the airfield. It's not land regardless of what's beneath you but it does mean land as soon as possible and not as soon as back home again. That would be my interpretation, anyway.