# Aircraft loading event

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 010
- CICTT category: Ground Handling
- Defining event in: 22 cases
- In the sequence of: 84 cases
- Fatal cases: 1
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/010

## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence)

- 2008: 0 / 1
- 2009: 0 / 6
- 2010: 0 / 7
- 2011: 0 / 3
- 2012: 2 / 4
- 2013: 2 / 7
- 2014: 3 / 9
- 2015: 3 / 3
- 2016: 1 / 4
- 2017: 3 / 8
- 2018: 1 / 8
- 2019: 0 / 2
- 2020: 0 / 3
- 2021: 0 / 2
- 2022: 1 / 3
- 2023: 3 / 8
- 2024: 2 / 4
- 2025: 1 / 2

## Phase of flight

- Prior to flight: 15 cases
- Standing-engine(s) operating: 2 cases
- Standing: 2 cases
- Unknown: 1 cases
- Other: 1 cases
- Standing-engine(s) not oper: 1 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Weight/balance calculations](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061015) (Personnel issues): 6 cases
- [CG/weight distribution](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061040) (Aircraft): 5 cases
- [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 3 cases
- [Angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042) (Aircraft): 3 cases
- [Maximum weight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01061035) (Aircraft): 3 cases
- [Oversight of operation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04032015) (Organizational issues): 2 cases
- [Preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510) (Personnel issues): 2 cases
- [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010) (Aircraft): 2 cases
- [Dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020) (Environmental issues): 1 cases
- [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022040) (Environmental issues): 1 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii): 3 cases
- [Cessna 208B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-208b): 2 cases
- [Raytheon G36](https://openairdocs.org/model/raytheon-g36): 1 cases
- [Piper PA-32R-301T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301t): 1 cases
- [Pilatus PC-12/47E](https://openairdocs.org/model/pilatus-pc-12-47e): 1 cases
- [Mooney M20C](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20c): 1 cases
- [Head Balloons AX8-88](https://openairdocs.org/model/head-balloons-ax8-88): 1 cases
- [Embraer EMB-120ER](https://openairdocs.org/model/embraer-emb-120er): 1 cases
- [Boeing 767-300F](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-767-300f): 1 cases
- [Boeing 737-330](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-737-330): 1 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB DCA26WA076](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA076), Dec 8, 2025: Boeing 737 (G-JZHT), Leeds, United Kingdom, substantial damage
- [NTSB DCA25WA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25WA054), Dec 1, 2024: Boeing 737 (VH-XZK), Perth, Australia, incident, no damage
- [NTSB DCA24WA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24WA257), Jul 23, 2024: Boeing 737 (P2-PXB), Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, incident, no damage
- [NTSB CEN23LA326](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA326), Jul 26, 2023: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N4174L), Charles City, IA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight of the helicopter to ensure that it was within the loading and performance limitations that resulted in settling and impact with terrain during initial climb.
- [NTSB ERA23LA315](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA315), Jul 24, 2023: Head Balloons AX8-88 (N4522E), Guilford, CT, no damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate supervision of the boarding process and the ground crewmember’s failure to immediately let go of the balloon after it began an inadvertent climb.
- [NTSB DCA23WA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA23WA184), Feb 4, 2023: Boeing 767-300F (N370UP), Derby, United Kingdom, occurrence, no damage
- [NTSB DCA22WA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA22WA120), Apr 26, 2022: Boeing 737 (EI-ENK), Almeria, Spain, incident, no damage
- [NTSB GAA18CA534](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA534), Aug 30, 2018: Robinson R44 (N99645), Girdwood, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fisherman's fishing rod striking the helicopter’s rotating main rotor disk during loading.
- [NTSB CEN17LA350](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA350), Sep 13, 2017: Embraer EMB 120ER (N121CZ), Greeley, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The bus driver's failure to maintain clearance from the standing airplane during dark night conditions. Contributing to the accident was the airport's lack of an escort for the bus.
- [NTSB GAA17CA347](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA347), Jun 16, 2017: Aeronca 11AC (N9404E), Watervliet, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a takeoff over maximum gross weight from a turf runway in high density altitude conditions and the airplane’s inability to…

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted.

Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1).

NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names.

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