Narrative:

After engine start, taxi was commenced, aircraft was taxied up onto a helicopter landing pad. The engine was turned off. There was no propeller strike. The only damage was to the fiberglass wheel part (right side). The student was sitting in the front seat, and has forward visibility. Instructor in the back seat has none. Cause: failure upon the student's part to have visual contact with the pad. Failure upon instructor's part to insure taxiway was clear. Even though helicopter pad had not moved for 3 hours prior. Correction: better situational awareness upon student and CFI. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: instructor pilot verified that the aircraft was a tail dragger citabria and they were departing vny airport. The aircraft belonged to the student and reporter instructor says she was excited about her new aircraft and was a little nervous and anxious. There was a row of parking spots for helicopter's directly in front of their aircraft and he didn't know why the student taxied straight ahead instead of turning to follow the taxi line. Reporter says both of the flight crew should have had better situational awareness and that he should have briefed the student before getting into the aircraft about the taxi route, etc. Also, that he should have paid more attention to what was in front of their aircraft before getting into the rear cockpit. He shut off the magnetos as soon as he felt the aircraft bump when it hit the helicopter pad.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMENCING TAXI IN A TAIL WHEEL CITABRIA ACFT, INSTRUCTOR WAS IN REAR COCKPIT WHILE TRAINEE WAS IN FRONT. INSTRUCTOR COULDN'T SEE WHERE THE TRAINEE WAS GOING, BUT THE STUDENT FAILED TO FOLLOW THE TAXI LINE AND RAN ONTO A HELI LNDG PAD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE RPTR ACFT RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE R WHEEL. INSTRUCTOR KILLED THE ENG AS SOON AS HE FELT THE BUMP.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START, TAXI WAS COMMENCED, ACFT WAS TAXIED UP ONTO A HELI LNDG PAD. THE ENG WAS TURNED OFF. THERE WAS NO PROP STRIKE. THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE FIBERGLASS WHEEL PART (R SIDE). THE STUDENT WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT, AND HAS FORWARD VISIBILITY. INSTRUCTOR IN THE BACK SEAT HAS NONE. CAUSE: FAILURE UPON THE STUDENT'S PART TO HAVE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE PAD. FAILURE UPON INSTRUCTOR'S PART TO INSURE TXWY WAS CLR. EVEN THOUGH HELI PAD HAD NOT MOVED FOR 3 HRS PRIOR. CORRECTION: BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS UPON STUDENT AND CFI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: INSTRUCTOR PLT VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS A TAIL DRAGGER CITABRIA AND THEY WERE DEPARTING VNY ARPT. THE ACFT BELONGED TO THE STUDENT AND RPTR INSTRUCTOR SAYS SHE WAS EXCITED ABOUT HER NEW ACFT AND WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS AND ANXIOUS. THERE WAS A ROW OF PARKING SPOTS FOR HELI'S DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEIR ACFT AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY THE STUDENT TAXIED STRAIGHT AHEAD INSTEAD OF TURNING TO FOLLOW THE TAXI LINE. RPTR SAYS BOTH OF THE FLC SHOULD HAVE HAD BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BRIEFED THE STUDENT BEFORE GETTING INTO THE ACFT ABOUT THE TAXI RTE, ETC. ALSO, THAT HE SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF THEIR ACFT BEFORE GETTING INTO THE REAR COCKPIT. HE SHUT OFF THE MAGNETOS AS SOON AS HE FELT THE ACFT BUMP WHEN IT HIT THE HELI PAD.

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.