# Accident 19971209037869A: Hughes TH-55, Bushenll, FL, December 9, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 9, 1997, 15:20 local time
- Place: Bushenll, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.6601° N, 82.1092° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.6601&lon=-82.1092&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74914, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N74914) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hughes TH-55 (registry code 4471002, https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-th-55) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series (registry code 41524, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA021) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971209037869A

## Narrative

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

STUDENT PILOT DRIFTED, CONTACTING TREES WITH MAIN ROTOR BLADES, THEN COLLIDED WITH ROAD. (-23) ON TUESDAY, 9 DECEMBER 1997, AT 16:30 EST, MR. CYRIL ELMO PARISH, HOLDER OF STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE NO. EE1517877, LANDED HIS HUGHES 269A HELICOPTER, N74914 IN A CONFINED AREA ON COUNTY EASEMENT PROPERTY ADJACENT TO STATE ROAD 575. WHEN MR. PARISH ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK TREE LIMBS CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SETTLE AND CRASH LAND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WITH NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL98LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA021), Dec 9, 1997: Hughes TH-55 (N74914), Bushnell, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the trees during a hover. A factor was the pilot's diverted attention.

## Other reports on N74914 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20120519011819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120519011819A), May 19, 2012: Hughes TH-55 (N74914), Pittsfield, PA, Substantial damage. On approach to land @ approximately 40 feet, the solo student pilot attempted to recover from low rotor RPM. The student pilot over corrected with throttle…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.