Narrative:

When approximately 6 NM from airport in VMC flight conditions, flight visibility estimated to be 15 mi plus, I had airport clearly in sight and at this point cancelled my IFR flight plan with ZDC and contacted wilson unicom on 123.0 mh for airport traffic advisories. I was advised that the wind favored runway 9 and there was no reported traffic. I entered the traffic pattern and reported downwind for runway 9. Just after reporting on final for runway 9, I observed a helicopter overflying the airport at an estimated altitude of 150-200' from the direction of the ramp. There was no time for evasive maneuvers and I continued my landing. The helicopter passed an estimated 300' in front of me at an estimated altitude of 150' and disappeared to the left rear. The angle of crossing was about 30 degree. During the flare (at about the point that the helicopter crossed the runway and about 10 seconds later) we encountered what felt like a 'soft pillow of air' which resulted in an immediate altitude gain (balloon) of about 40-50' coupled with a violent roll to the left and the sounding of the full stall warning. I immediately applied full power and made a go around. Upon reporting downwind again I asked 'where is that darned helicopter?' there was a muffled laugh on the radio but no other answer. On base leg to runway 9, I spotted the helicopter hovering in the area of the taxiway and runway 3-21 intersection. As I was again established on final to runway 9, I observed the helicopter start gaining altitude and beginning flight in my direction. A continuation of his flight path would have resulted in the same situation as on the previous landing. I announced on the radio that 'if you fly that danged egg beater over my aircraft again jack you and I are going to have words'. The helicopter immediately broke off to his left and I completed my landing. After landing, I observed the helicopter hovering in the area of the windsock, facing the ramp area. The helicopter did not answer several radio calls both from myself and from another aircraft which was waiting takeoff on runway 3. After deplaning my passenger, I entered the FBO to look for the FBO representative. The representative was not available. As I was walking out to my aircraft, the helicopter air-taxied to a position behind my aircraft and landed. Both the pilot of the helicopter and his passenger exited the helicopter and left it unattended with the engine still running and the rotor turning and walked toward the bldg. I intercepted them and we had a sharp discussion about his operating techniques. He denied all. During this approximate 3-5 min conversation, the helicopter rotor and engine continued to operate with no one attending the helicopter. This occurred on a ramp full of parked aircraft. There were also several spectators and pilots in the area as well as the fuel pumps and one fuel truck. I feel that leaving a running helicopter unattended was a very hazardous situation in this crowded environment. The pilot of the helicopter lacks full understanding of the effect of rotor downwash on other aircraft and items in the vicinity of the helicopter flight path and shows a lack of regard for proper operating procedure in the airport traffic pattern. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: callback conducted to determine if reporter had filed a complaint with the FAA. The reporter indicated that he had not, but upon reflection would do so now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN SMT X AND SMA Y HELICOPTER AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT. HELICOPTER IS STUNTING.

Narrative: WHEN APPROX 6 NM FROM ARPT IN VMC FLT CONDITIONS, FLT VISIBILITY ESTIMATED TO BE 15 MI PLUS, I HAD ARPT CLEARLY IN SIGHT AND AT THIS POINT CANCELLED MY IFR FLT PLAN WITH ZDC AND CONTACTED WILSON UNICOM ON 123.0 MH FOR ARPT TFC ADVISORIES. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIND FAVORED RWY 9 AND THERE WAS NO REPORTED TFC. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND REPORTED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9. JUST AFTER REPORTING ON FINAL FOR RWY 9, I OBSERVED A HELI OVERFLYING THE ARPT AT AN ESTIMATED ALT OF 150-200' FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE RAMP. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR EVASIVE MANEUVERS AND I CONTINUED MY LNDG. THE HELI PASSED AN ESTIMATED 300' IN FRONT OF ME AT AN ESTIMATED ALT OF 150' AND DISAPPEARED TO THE LEFT REAR. THE ANGLE OF XING WAS ABOUT 30 DEG. DURING THE FLARE (AT ABOUT THE POINT THAT THE HELI CROSSED THE RWY AND ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER) WE ENCOUNTERED WHAT FELT LIKE A 'SOFT PILLOW OF AIR' WHICH RESULTED IN AN IMMEDIATE ALT GAIN (BALLOON) OF ABOUT 40-50' COUPLED WITH A VIOLENT ROLL TO THE LEFT AND THE SOUNDING OF THE FULL STALL WARNING. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL POWER AND MADE A GO AROUND. UPON REPORTING DOWNWIND AGAIN I ASKED 'WHERE IS THAT DARNED HELI?' THERE WAS A MUFFLED LAUGH ON THE RADIO BUT NO OTHER ANSWER. ON BASE LEG TO RWY 9, I SPOTTED THE HELI HOVERING IN THE AREA OF THE TXWY AND RWY 3-21 INTXN. AS I WAS AGAIN ESTABLISHED ON FINAL TO RWY 9, I OBSERVED THE HELI START GAINING ALT AND BEGINNING FLT IN MY DIRECTION. A CONTINUATION OF HIS FLT PATH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE SAME SITUATION AS ON THE PREVIOUS LNDG. I ANNOUNCED ON THE RADIO THAT 'IF YOU FLY THAT DANGED EGG BEATER OVER MY ACFT AGAIN JACK YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE WORDS'. THE HELI IMMEDIATELY BROKE OFF TO HIS LEFT AND I COMPLETED MY LNDG. AFTER LNDG, I OBSERVED THE HELI HOVERING IN THE AREA OF THE WINDSOCK, FACING THE RAMP AREA. THE HELI DID NOT ANSWER SEVERAL RADIO CALLS BOTH FROM MYSELF AND FROM ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS WAITING TKOF ON RWY 3. AFTER DEPLANING MY PAX, I ENTERED THE FBO TO LOOK FOR THE FBO REPRESENTATIVE. THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. AS I WAS WALKING OUT TO MY ACFT, THE HELI AIR-TAXIED TO A POSITION BEHIND MY ACFT AND LANDED. BOTH THE PLT OF THE HELI AND HIS PAX EXITED THE HELI AND LEFT IT UNATTENDED WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING AND THE ROTOR TURNING AND WALKED TOWARD THE BLDG. I INTERCEPTED THEM AND WE HAD A SHARP DISCUSSION ABOUT HIS OPERATING TECHNIQUES. HE DENIED ALL. DURING THIS APPROXIMATE 3-5 MIN CONVERSATION, THE HELI ROTOR AND ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE WITH NO ONE ATTENDING THE HELI. THIS OCCURRED ON A RAMP FULL OF PARKED ACFT. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL SPECTATORS AND PLTS IN THE AREA AS WELL AS THE FUEL PUMPS AND ONE FUEL TRUCK. I FEEL THAT LEAVING A RUNNING HELI UNATTENDED WAS A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION IN THIS CROWDED ENVIRONMENT. THE PLT OF THE HELI LACKS FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECT OF ROTOR DOWNWASH ON OTHER ACFT AND ITEMS IN THE VICINITY OF THE HELI FLT PATH AND SHOWS A LACK OF REGARD FOR PROPER OPERATING PROC IN THE ARPT TFC PATTERN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CALLBACK CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF REPORTER HAD FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FAA. THE REPORTER INDICATED THAT HE HAD NOT, BUT UPON REFLECTION WOULD DO SO NOW.

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.