Pilot instructor of small aircraft helicopter aircraft lost a ground handling wheel in-flight.

Attributes
ACN	230664
Time
Date	199301
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lvk
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 230
ASRS Report	230664
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I preflted an small aircraft helicopter and pushed it out to the taxiway. It had started to rain and I got in the helicopter. I was talking to a passenger about inner procedures, controls, etc. After a short while, I started the helicopter, warmed up, and took off, neglecting to take off the ground handling wheels. While in-flight, the tower called to ask if I was still on frequency. I was and replied. They said that they had had a report of a helicopter dropping a package. I said that I had not intentionally dropped anything (I didn't realize yet that the wheels were left on) but would exercise caution in case something had fallen off. I headed back to the airport and on the way back realized I had left the wheels on. I tried to shake the remaining wheel off over a field, but it wouldn't come off. I flew back to the airport, avoiding overflying houses and cars, landed and removed the wheel. At this time the tower advised that a caller had found the wheel and asked me to call them back when I reached my office, which I did. I also called the principal of the school in whose yard the wheel had landed, and I called the police who had responded. The desire to not get wet contributed to this accident. To avoid it happening in the future, I will add a step to the before takeoff checklist stating 'wheels removed -- check.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT INSTRUCTOR OF SMA HELI ACFT LOST A GND HANDLING WHEEL INFLT.

Narrative: I PREFLTED AN SMA HELI AND PUSHED IT OUT TO THE TXWY. IT HAD STARTED TO RAIN AND I GOT IN THE HELI. I WAS TALKING TO A PAX ABOUT INNER PROCS, CTLS, ETC. AFTER A SHORT WHILE, I STARTED THE HELI, WARMED UP, AND TOOK OFF, NEGLECTING TO TAKE OFF THE GND HANDLING WHEELS. WHILE INFLT, THE TWR CALLED TO ASK IF I WAS STILL ON FREQ. I WAS AND REPLIED. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD HAD A RPT OF A HELI DROPPING A PACKAGE. I SAID THAT I HAD NOT INTENTIONALLY DROPPED ANYTHING (I DIDN'T REALIZE YET THAT THE WHEELS WERE LEFT ON) BUT WOULD EXERCISE CAUTION IN CASE SOMETHING HAD FALLEN OFF. I HEADED BACK TO THE ARPT AND ON THE WAY BACK REALIZED I HAD LEFT THE WHEELS ON. I TRIED TO SHAKE THE REMAINING WHEEL OFF OVER A FIELD, BUT IT WOULDN'T COME OFF. I FLEW BACK TO THE ARPT, AVOIDING OVERFLYING HOUSES AND CARS, LANDED AND REMOVED THE WHEEL. AT THIS TIME THE TWR ADVISED THAT A CALLER HAD FOUND THE WHEEL AND ASKED ME TO CALL THEM BACK WHEN I REACHED MY OFFICE, WHICH I DID. I ALSO CALLED THE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL IN WHOSE YARD THE WHEEL HAD LANDED, AND I CALLED THE POLICE WHO HAD RESPONDED. THE DESIRE TO NOT GET WET CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT. TO AVOID IT HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ADD A STEP TO THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST STATING 'WHEELS REMOVED -- CHK.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.