As I learned from a fellow ppruner, I always do a FISH procedure before take off now

FUEL, FLOATS, FRICTION CHECK
INTRUMENTS GREEN
SWITCHES ON
HARNESS, HYDRAULICS ON

:ok:

The point remains Reverse that had he used a pre take off checklist and presumably not missed any items (how long and hard can a Robbo checklist be?) he would not have threatened lives. In this case, it was just hurt pride and a written off R44 luckily.

I know a pilot who flew a R44 into the hangar because he didn't want to leave it outside overnight... Oh well, I guess i dont have to tell you what happened to the poor Helo. The guy didnt die, and the insurance laughed at his face.
Some ppl are just too dumb to be pilots.:=

Now Ive heard it all.

All seems well now, the R44 is a write off. No insurance :(
However the owner is flying his new R44 .....watch this space !:ugh:

Checklist or not, I'm surprised he got it off the ground without realizing the hydraulics were off. In my experience, raising the collective with hydraulics off is very difficult (heavy). That would be the first indication. He should have also felt it in the cyclic prior to liftoff while he was finding the center point. This just seems fishy to me.... And yes, checklists are very important. I always use them, and I constantly have to remind students to use them. It's rather frustrating when your 50 hour CPL student seems to think he knows it all....

.....or the 65y.o. pilot doesn't know the difference :)

Sounds like the Pilot hadn't selected the right gear,...........that is for his brain,
The last time I flew in the R44 the Hyd off was a very muscly effort, on going light and finding his centre point he must have felt the lack of Hyd assistance ,....if not, the lack of engaged grey matter speaks volumes.!

PeterR-B

I no long fly the R44 type, but I was wondering if the shut down includes turning the hydraulics off. If not, why were they off for the start?

The only hydraulic R44 I've been in was when they first arrived in Australia and then I was surprised that the hydraulic switch was on the cyclic amongst the radio transmit and frequency change switch.

Soave Pilot:That's a rather naive and prococative statement :=. Why do you say that? What evidence is there that Robbo drivers ignore check lists proportionally more than any other? Familiarity breeds contempt, regardless of type, but I find odd with this is that even if the pilot had forgotten to check that the HYD switch was ON, he would have surely felt the difference before lifting :confused:

Me thinks hydraulics had nothing to do with it.

Had they been off and he picked up a bit nose heavy, (he was fairly well loaded which always gives a nose low attitude in those rockets) he would have been travelling forward before he hit the roof, albeit just thinking about and trying to wrestle said cyclic aft, he would have gone further into the shed and ended up almost inside the hangar.

The real story might be this; The machine was parked too close he jerked it off the ground, realized just before he hit that he was too close, got the cyclic aft to give a rearward travel / attitude but too late, hit the roof and ended up outside the shed.

time to cut the comedy on this one i reckon.

@McGowan:
The hydraulics are on at all times in R44 I/IIs, except for a quick hydraulics check during startup. The pilot might have forgotten to reactivate the hydraulics after this check. The switch is on the cyclic, but unlikely to be activated by accident.