# NTSB investigations, PA: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA26LA307](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA307.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Altoona, PA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 14, 2026 · N586MA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s descent below the glidepath and collision with trees during a missed approach.
- [NTSB ERA25FA344](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA344.md): Hughes 369D · Jim Thorpe, PA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report · Sep 11, 2025 · N5072F · Destroyed
  > On September 11, 2025, about 1402 eastern daylight time, a Hughes (McDonnell Douglas) 369D helicopter, N5072F, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot and line technician were fatally injured. The…
- [NTSB ERA24FA292](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24FA292.md): Cessna 172N · Lock Haven, PA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 4, 2024 · N739GV · Destroyed
  > The student pilot’s premature turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern at low airspeed and altitude, resulting in a collision with trees and terrain.
- [NTSB ERA22LA347](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA347.md): Bell 206L-3 · Franklin, PA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 19, 2022 · N203PA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate visual lookout while flying at a low level over a river, which resulted in a wire strike.
- [NTSB GAA18CA506](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA506.md): Hughes 369 · Ridgeway, PA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 22, 2018 · N89ZC · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial observation flight.
- [NTSB ERA16FA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA215.md): Piper PA31 · State College, PA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 16, 2016 · N3591P · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to continue an unstabilized instrument approach in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA16CA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16CA105.md): Piper PA34 · Williamsport, PA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 9, 2016 · N234NC · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain altitude in cruise flight due to his diverted attention, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA13CA228](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13CA228.md): Piper PA-28-140 · Brogue, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 2, 2013 · N33677 · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a power line.
- [NTSB ERA12CA548](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA548.md): Handy James L Buckeye Dream Mach · West Caln, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 1, 2012 · N4258M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the wind during the initial climb, which resulted in collision with a tree and terrain.
- [NTSB ERA12FA327](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA327.md): Mooney M20J · Sterling, PA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 10, 2012 · N9154K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to take off on an uphill slope without utilizing the entire available runway, and his failure to abort the takeoff when he realized he wasn’t going to liftoff in time to clear the trees at the end of the runway.
- [NTSB ERA12CA304](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA304.md): Bell 206B · Hershey, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 27, 2012 · N16EP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's diverted attention while performing aerial application at low altitude, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to adjust the control friction to the position he was accustomed.
- [NTSB ERA11FA467](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA467.md): Cessna 172M · Titusville, PA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 20, 2011 · N13126 · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's improper decision to attempt a visual descent into instrument meteorological conditions while approaching the destination airport, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
- [NTSB ERA11LA104](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA104.md): Piper PA-28-161 · Benton, PA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 3, 2011 · N42997 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during the night flight.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'PA' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT e.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e WHERE e."isDefiningEvent" AND e."tier2Number" = '120')
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/cases?state=PA

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