# Major NTSB investigations: Aircraft structural failure

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 ERA25MA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25MA171.md): Bell 206L-4 · Jersey City, NJ · Accident · 6 fatal · Class 2 · Major · Preliminary report · Apr 10, 2025 · N216MH · Destroyed
  > On April 10, 2025, about 1515 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206L-4 helicopter, N216MH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Jersey City, New Jersey. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title…
- [NTSB ERA14MA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14MA060.md): Fairchild SA227-AC · La Alianza, PR · Accident · 2 fatal · Major investigation · Final report · Dec 3, 2013 · N831BC · Destroyed
  > The flight crew's excessive elevator input during a rapid descent under night lighting conditions, which resulted in the overstress and breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was an initial loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be…
- [NTSB WPR12MA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12MA034.md): Eurocopter EC 130 B4 · Pukoo, HI · Accident · 5 fatal · Major investigation · Final report · Nov 10, 2011 · N11QV · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while operating in marginal weather conditions, which resulted in the impact of the horizontal stabilizer and lower forward portion of the fenestron with ground and/or vegetation and led to…
- [NTSB WPR11MA454](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11MA454.md): North American/Aero Classics P-51D · Reno, NV · Accident · 11 fatal · Class 1 · Major · Final report · Sep 16, 2011 · N79111 · Substantial damage
  > The reduced stiffness of the elevator trim tab system that allowed aerodynamic flutter to occur at racing speeds. The reduced stiffness was a result of deteriorated locknut inserts that allowed the trim tab attachment screws to become loose and to initiate…
- [NTSB DCA11MA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11MA039.md): Boeing 737 · Yuma, AZ · Accident · Minor injuries · Major investigation · Final report · Apr 1, 2011 · N632SW · Substantial damage
  > the improper installation of the fuselage crown skin panel at the S-4L lap joint during the manufacturing process, which resulted in multiple site damage fatigue cracking and eventual failure of the lower skin panel. Contributing to the injuries was flight…
- [NTSB ERA09MA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09MA157.md): Cessna 206H · Quebradillas, PR · Accident · 6 fatal · Major investigation · Final report · Feb 8, 2009 · N118ME · Destroyed
  > The pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane, which resulted in an in-flight break up while maneuvering in adverse weather conditions.
- [NTSB DCA09MA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA09MA026.md): Airbus A320 · Weehawken, NJ · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 1 · Major · Final report · Jan 15, 2009 · N106US · Substantial damage
  > The ingestion of large birds into each engine, which resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines and the subsequent ditching on the Hudson River. Contributing to the fuselage damage and resulting unavailability of the aft slide/rafts were (1)…

## 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.board_report_url IS NOT NULL OR c."investigationClass" = 'Class 1' OR c."caseType" = 'Major - Launch')
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '337' 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/337/sequence?major=1

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