Hughes TH-55 accident near Bushnell, Florida, December 9, 1997
On December 9, 1997 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Hughes TH-55 (helicopter), registered N74914, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bushnell, Florida (Hernando County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the trees during a hover. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1997 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Bushnell, Florida · Hernando County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes TH-55 · all TH-55s on the register
- Registration
- N74914 · registry record · serial 67-15442
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated he drifted too close to trees during a hover, and the rotor blades stuck the tree limbs. The helicopter then crashed onto a road. The student pilot stated that he was showing off for his daughter, who was on the ground, and not paying attention to the tree limbs.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N74914 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL98LA021.