Hughes 269A accident near Homosassa, Florida, February 7, 1997
On February 7, 1997 at about 6:00 am local time, a Hughes 269A (helicopter), registered N9061R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homosassa, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the unqualified person's poor judgment, by taking the helicopter without the owner's permission and attempting an unauthorized flight at night; and his failure (or inability) to maintain control the helicopter. Darkness was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1997 · about 6:00 am local time
- Place
- Homosassa, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Hughes 269A · all 269As on the register
- Registration
- N9061R · registry record · serial 47-0696
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A non-rated pilot attempted to fly the helicopter during a dark night without obtaining the owner's permission. While attempting to fly at night with no ground reference lights, he lost control of the helicopter, which crashed a short distance from the helipad.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,654 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 6, 1995; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,140 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 6:00 am
- Destination: Unknown
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 am from OCF, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.