# Incident 20230203005579I: Rigoulot James P HELICYCLE, Gastonia, NC, February 3, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 3, 2023, 13:20 local time
- Place: Gastonia, NC
- Airport: Gastonia Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2026° N, 81.1499° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GASTONIA MUNI (AKH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2026&lon=-81.1499&mi=10
- Aircraft: N116JR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N116JR) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rigoulot James P HELICYCLE (registry code 05630T0, https://openairdocs.org/model/rigoulot-james-p-helicycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RIGOULOT JAMES P HELICYCLE
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,966 total, 58 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230203005579I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT, STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 3 AND PROCEEDED TO FLY OVER TO A GRASS FIELD ADJACENT TO THE END OF RUNWAY 3. WHILE THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT MANEUVERS OF PICK UPS TO A HOVER AND SETTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO A LANDING, HE ENCOUNTERED SOME HEAVY WIND GUST. THE GUSTS OF WIND, MADE IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE FLIGHT AND AT THIS POINT HIS INTENT WAS TO CONCLUDE HIS FLIGHT AND LAND HIS HELICOPTER. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO HOVER TAXI TO RUNWAY 3. AT THE POINT THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTING FROM THE FIELD AND PROCEEDING TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 3. THE AIRPORT MANAGER WITENESSED THE EVENT, THE PILOT WAS FIGHTING GUSTING WINDS WHILE THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED, WESTBOUND OVER THE NUMBERS FOR RUNWAY 3. THE PILOT THEN ENTERED THE CONFINES OF THE TAXIWAY LEADING TO RUNWAY 3 AND THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN, APPROXIMATELY 3-4 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ABRUPTLY DROP WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SKIDDING A FEW FEET BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY A LARGE PLUME OF SMOKE. THE IMPACT FROM THE HARD LANDING DAMAGED THE LANDING GEAR SKIDS, TAIL ROTOR BLADES, AND CAUSED ABRASIONS UNDER THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER.  AN OIL SHEEN WITH PUDDLING WAS NOTICEABLE ON SURROUNDING AREAS OF ENGINE MOUNTING LOCATION. THE DIFFUSER CASING AND THE INLET AIR SCREEN HAD THE MOST EVIDENCE OF OIL SATURATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD A LOSS OF POWER WHICH RESULTED IN HIS HARD LANDING. T-EA68-FY23-0684

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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