Helicopter
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 7000; Flight Crew Type 3000
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Flying at 1600 feet MSL; 800 feet AGL on a direct course toward [our destination]. On departing JQF climbed to 1600 feet MSL in order to stay below the CLT class B airspace. Our course took us very close to the Mcquire nuclear power plant located on the south end of Lake Norman near Charlotte; NC. At approximately XX00 local time I received a call from a FAA inspector who is assigned to the Charlotte FSDO. The inspector informed me that the nuclear plant called JQF to determine the identity of the helicopter that overflew their plant and the tower identified us. The inspector told me that he/she could find no restrictions concerning operations over or near nuclear power plants; and there were no notations on navigation charts either. The inspector let me know that that was all he/she knew and inferred that there would be nothing more to come. I stated that I wanted to be a good neighbor and would do my best to avoid the plant in the future.
Pilot gets notification by a ground observer who reports the flight to the FAA that their flight went over a nuclear power point. No restrictions were to be found not allowing the pilot to do so.