HELI VFR GOES IMC ON INITIAL CLB AND RETURNS AND LANDS ALMOST FORGETTING THE LNDG GEAR.

Narrative

AFTER TKOF WENT IFR AT 250 FT; COPLT HAD POINTED SEARCH LIGHT STRAIGHT OUT THE FRONT OF ACFT BLINDED PLT. MADE TURN TO GO BACK TO HELIPORT. WARNING FOR WHEELS UP HORN DIDN'T COME ON. CAME TO A HOVER AND MOVED OVER THE PARKING PAD. AT THIS TIME I COULD SEE THAT THE WHEELS HADN'T BEEN EXTENDED. TOLD COPLT TO EXTEND WHEELS AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG; ADVISED COPLT NOT TO POINT LNDG LIGHT STRAIGHT OUT FRONT OF ACFT AND NOT TO BE TALKING ON RADIO WHEN WE ARE ON TKOF AND LNDG. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE AS A CREW WENT INADVERTENT IFR. FOLLOWING THIS OCCURRENCE WE DISCUSSED IMPROVED PROC AND CREW COORD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO FERRY AN S-76 TO A POINT 12 MI AWAY UNDER VISUAL FLT RULES. THE COMPANY VFR MINIMUM WAS 300 FT. THE CEILING WAS RPTED ABOVE THAT. HOWEVER; THIS NIGHT THE RPTR WENT INTO THE CLOUDS AT 250 FT. HE RETURNED TO LAND BECAUSE THE WX CEILING WAS TOO LOW. THE RETURN WAS HAMPERED BY HIS BEING BLINDED BY THE LIGHT. THE FO WAS TALKING TO COMPANY ON THE RADIO INSTEAD OF BACKING UP THE CAPT ON TKOF DUTIES. THE FO WAS NOT COORDINATING HELPFULLY IN CONFIGURING THE HELI FOR A LNDG. THE CAPT HAD TO TURN OFF THE LIGHT AND IN THE HOVER LOWER THE LNDG GEAR.