# NTSB investigations, MO: Low altitude operation/event

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 CEN26LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA101.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Sullivan, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 29, 2026 · N916VK · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines during low-level operations.
- [NTSB CEN25LA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA276.md): Air Tractor AT-402A · Centralia, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 22, 2025 · N1534D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-level maneuvering.
- [NTSB CEN24LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA252.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · New Florence, MO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 4, 2024 · N225AM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain proper altitude/clearance from a dead tree limb during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN24LA205](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA205.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta · Palmyra, MO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 30, 2024 · N221RH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during approach.
- [NTSB CEN23FA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA353.md): Air Tractor AT-802 · Gilman City, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 8, 2023 · N804AA · Destroyed
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a steep turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.
- [NTSB CEN23LA280](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA280.md): Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 · Amity, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 5, 2023 · N828WP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to see and avoid wires while conducting a low-level aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN22LA350](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA350.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Marshall, MO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 31, 2022 · N458SG · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to adequately survey a field for obstructions prior to a low-level aerial application pass, which resulted in an impact with a powerline.
- [NTSB CEN22LA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA200.md): Thrush S2R-H80 · Aurora, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 12, 2022 · N510KK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not ensure clearance from a power line during a surveillance pass of a field to be sprayed.
- [NTSB CEN22LA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA006.md): Robinson Helicopter R66 · Delta, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 5, 2021 · N266RK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning and his failure to see and avoid a wire which resulted in contact with the wire and subsequent ground impact.
- [NTSB CEN21LA446](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA446.md): Cole Paul B Challenger I · Higginsville, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Sep 18, 2021 · N630SC · Substantial damage
  > The non-certificated pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during a low-level turn, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CEN19LA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA016.md): Rotorway 162 · Passaic, MO · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Oct 27, 2018 · N162RF · Substantial damage
  > The electrical short in the main rotor rpm indicating unit which provided an inaccurate indication to the student pilot and resulted in substantial damage during the precautionary autorotation.
- [NTSB GAA16CA384](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA384.md): Boeing A75 · St. James, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 17, 2016 · N4558N · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of control while performing an aerobatic maneuver resulting in an inadvertent spin and collision with trees and terrain.
- [NTSB CEN16LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16LA222.md): North American AT-6D · Henley, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 19, 2016 · N150U · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to conduct extended inverted flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel flow disruption. Contributing to the accident was his decision to conduct aerobatic maneuvers at low altitude, which precluded him from…
- [NTSB CEN15LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA077.md): New Piper PA 32R-301T · Springfield, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 12, 2014 · N3127R · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to descend below the recommended altitude during approach for landing in night visual meteorological conditions, and his failure to see and avoid a lighted tower, which resulted in collision with the tower and a subsequent total loss of…
- [NTSB CEN13FA456](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA456.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Chesterfield, MO · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 3, 2013 · N225CD · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to establish and maintain a positive climb rate during the initial climb in night instrument meteorological conditions.
- [NTSB CEN13FA259](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA259.md): Piper PA-25-235 · Lamar, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 5, 2013 · N82509 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's in-flight loss of control, which was likely due to a sudden cardiac event.
- [NTSB CEN12CA555](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12CA555.md): Brown Mitch Challenger II · Dexter, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 15, 2012 · N167MB · Substantial damage
  > The operation of an airplane by a noncertificated pilot and his failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-level flight.
- [NTSB CEN12LA440](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA440.md): Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A · Darksville, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 13, 2012 · N6846Q · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not maintain clearance from a tree line at the completion of an agricultural spray run.
- [NTSB CEN12FA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA158.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Osborn, MO · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Feb 14, 2012 · N4824L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to conduct low-level passes above a residence and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude.
- [NTSB CEN11LA582](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA582.md): Vertical Unlimited 12 · Kansas City, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 20, 2011 · N2BJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's impairment during an aerobatic airshow performance for reasons that could not be determined based on available information, which resulted in an in-flight loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB CEN10CA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA185.md): Air Tractor AT-301 · Malden, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 2, 2010 · N3653T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB DEN08CA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN08CA084.md): Piper PA-25-235 · Mountain Grove, MO · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 5, 2008 · N6944Z · Substantial damage
  > the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power line.

## 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" = 'MO' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '220' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence?state=MO

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