What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description:
New flight instructor (hired a week prior) was giving dual instruction to a student pilot prepping for a private practical test. The instructor experienced some anxiety because it would be his first experience in teaching autorotations. The two boarded the helicopter and took off with the ground handling wheels attached to the helicopter. During the flight, the wheels fell from the helicopter. One wheel penetrated the roof of a nearby house. The house was unoccupied and no one on the ground was injured. The other wheel landed in a neighbor's back yard.
Causal factors:
Another instructor had used the helicopter for a sightseeing ride. She pushed the helicopter into the hangar and washed it. She then pushed the helicopter back outside and left the wheels attached because it looked like it might rain and she thought the other instructor might need to push the helicopter back in the hangar.
Recommendations:
The instructor and the student pilot will be given counseling concerning preflight of the helicopter.
Ptrs GL03202000999
The instructor told me that he preflighted the helicopter. I asked him if he used a checklist. He replied that he had. I showed him the lines on the checklist that stated "ground handling wheel.......removed".
I will also suggest to the school operator that they institute a policy requiring that the wheels be removed after moving the helicopter.
Comments:
Flight instructor mentioned that at the flight school where he trained, the wheels were never on the helicopter. Either someone else pulled the helicopter out or it was left on the ramp without wheels. It appears he had formed a habit pattern whereby he never checked to see if the wheels were on the helicopter, despite the fact that they are in plain view to anyone approaching the helicopter.
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION:
NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (HIRED A WEEK PRIOR) WAS GIVING DUAL INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PILOT PREPPING FOR A PRIVATE PRACTICAL TEST. THE INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCED SOME ANXIETY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING AUTOROTATIONS. THE TWO BOARDED THE HELICOPTER AND TOOK OFF WITH THE GROUND HANDLING WHEELS ATTACHED TO THE HELICOPTER. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE WHEELS FELL FROM THE HELICOPTER. ONE WHEEL PENETRATED THE ROOF OF A NEARBY HOUSE. THE HOUSE WAS UNOCCUPIED AND NO ONE ON THE GROUND WAS INJURED. THE OTHER WHEEL LANDED IN A NEIGHBOR'S BACK YARD.
CAUSAL FACTORS:
ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR HAD USED THE HELICOPTER FOR A SIGHTSEEING RIDE. SHE PUSHED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE HANGAR AND WASHED IT. SHE THEN PUSHED THE HELICOPTER BACK OUTSIDE AND LEFT THE WHEELS ATTACHED BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT RAIN AND SHE THOUGHT THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR MIGHT NEED TO PUSH THE HELICOPTER BACK IN THE HANGAR.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT WILL BE GIVEN COUNSELING CONCERNING PREFLIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER.
PTRS GL03202000999
THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME THAT HE PREFLIGHTED THE HELICOPTER. I ASKED HIM IF HE USED A CHECKLIST. HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD. I SHOWED HIM THE LINES ON THE CHECKLIST THAT STATED "GROUND HANDLING WHEEL.......REMOVED".
I WILL ALSO SUGGEST TO THE SCHOOL OPERATOR THAT THEY INSTITUTE A POLICY REQUIRING THAT THE WHEELS BE REMOVED AFTER MOVING THE HELICOPTER.
COMMENTS:
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR MENTIONED THAT AT THE FLIGHT SCHOOL WHERE HE TRAINED, THE WHEELS WERE NEVER ON THE HELICOPTER. EITHER SOMEONE ELSE PULLED THE HELICOPTER OUT OR IT WAS LEFT ON THE RAMP WITHOUT WHEELS. IT APPEARS HE HAD FORMED A HABIT PATTERN WHEREBY HE NEVER CHECKED TO SEE IF THE WHEELS WERE ON THE HELICOPTER, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE IN PLAIN VIEW TO ANYONE APPROACHING THE HELICOPTER.