# NTSB investigations, 2023: 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 ERA23FA380](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA380.md): Piper PA28 · Whitesville, KY · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Sep 28, 2023 · N3079M · Destroyed
  > The flight instructor’s improper decision to continue flight into a known area of thunderstorms, which resulted in an in-flight breakup.
- [NTSB CEN23LA405](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA405.md): Alisport Silent 2 Electro · Giddings, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 7, 2023 · N321AD · Substantial damage
  > The glider’s encounter with flutter during cruise flight that resulted in structural damage to the fuselage.
- [NTSB ERA23FA340](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA340.md): Piper PA-28-161 · Fort Pierce, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 17, 2023 · N9855S · Destroyed
  > The left seat instructor’s intentional maneuvering of the airplane in an aerobatic steep turn for which it was not approved, which resulted in an exceedance of the structural limitations of the airplane and an inflight breakup.
- [NTSB WPR23LA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA317.md): Piper PA-24-260 · Fullerton, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 8, 2023 · N503JA · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the stabilator actuator from the stabilator tab, which resulted in pitch control surface flutter and structural damage.
- [NTSB DCA23LA409](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA23LA409.md): Boeing 767-322 · Chantilly, VA · Accident · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2023 · N676UA · Substantial damage
  > Improper overhaul of the trunnion cross-pin hole that resulted in the development of stress corrosion cracking and eventual failure of the right forward trunnion.
- [NTSB CEN23LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA319.md): Alisport Silent 2 Electro · Wallis, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 22, 2023 · N64JG · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the tail boom structure due to cyclic torsion overloading as of a result of flutter in the empennage. The reason for the flutter could not be determined.
- [NTSB GAA23WA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA23WA211.md): Cessna 210 · San Luis Gaceno, Colombia · Accident · 6 fatal · Class 5 · Foreign · Jul 19, 2023 · HK5138G · Substantial damage
- [NTSB WPR23LA255](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA255.md): Avia Stroitel AC-5M · North Plains, OR · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 5, 2023 · N40233 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the motor glider, which resulted in an inflight overstress separation of the right wing during a high-speed, high-wing-load spiral dive recovery. Contributing to the accident was the inadequately manufactured wing…
- [NTSB CEN23FA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA204.md): Luce Buttercup · Lyndonville, NY · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · May 28, 2023 · N18263 · Destroyed
  > An in-flight breakup due to structural overload of the airplane for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB ERA23FA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA219.md): Cessna 182 · Reliance, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · May 7, 2023 · N725AS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to continue an instrument flight into an area of forecast weather with severe to extreme turbulence associated with a line of thunderstorms, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing was the pilot’s operation of the airplane in…
- [NTSB ERA23FA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA209.md): Cessna 177B · Watkinsville, GA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 26, 2023 · N123DS · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control, which resulted in an in-flight overload separation of the right wing during the uncontrolled descent.
- [NTSB CEN23FA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA142.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Port Allen, LA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Mar 26, 2023 · N441PD · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and the loss of aircraft control.
- [NTSB WPR23LA128](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA128.md): Jones Jay D Cassutt M 11 · Castroville, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Mar 12, 2023 · N55XJ · Substantial damage
  > A failure of the outboard trailing edge rib in the left wing, which resulted in a separation of the left aileron and a loss of control.

## 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 year(c."eventDate") = 2023
  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?year=2023

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