# Fatal NTSB investigations: Aircraft wake turb encounter

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 ERA22LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA089.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Knoxville, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 16, 2021 · N162AM · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s encounter with a wake vortex from a preceding airplane, which resulted in a roll upset at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ATC to issue a wake turbulence cautionary advisory.
- [NTSB CEN21FA426](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA426.md): Rans S20 · Wadsworth, OH · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Sep 18, 2021 · N6915G · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s decision to depart shortly after a landing helicopter, which resulted in an encounter with the helicopter’s wake turbulence and a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment by his recent use of ethanol.
- [NTSB WPR18FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA200.md): De Havilland DH112 Venom · Sheboygan, WI · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 20, 2018 · N747J · Destroyed
  > The airplane's encounter with wake turbulence from the lead airplane in the formation flight, which resulted in a compressor stall and the airplane's subsequent inability to climb.
- [NTSB ERA18LA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA002.md): Cessna 182 · San Juan, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 2, 2017 · N9021X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate distance from helicopters during the approach for landing, resulting in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB WPR16FA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA172.md): Beech A36 · Sparks, NV · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 31, 2016 · N985CA · Destroyed
  > The pilot's selection of a landing runway which, given the wind and traffic conditions, was susceptible to high crosswinds and the translation of wake turbulence across its approach path, and the controller's and pilot's failure to ensure separation from the…
- [NTSB WPR16FA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16FA086.md): Airborne XT 912 · Hawthorne, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 21, 2016 · N670EM · Destroyed
  > The weight shift control aircraft encounter with a wake vortex from a preceding airplane, which resulted in a roll upset at an altitude too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident was the accident pilot's failure to recognize the potential for a wake…
- [NTSB CEN13FA438](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA438.md): Piper PA-28R-200 · Lake Michigan, WI · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 27, 2013 · N1549X · Destroyed
  > An encounter with wake turbulence, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of control of the airplane and its subsequent in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the approach controller’s failure to issue a wake turbulence advisory to the pilot.
- [NTSB WPR12FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12FA067.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 15, 2011 · N7850P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate separation behind a corporate jet, which resulted in an encounter with wake turbulence and a subsequent 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 c."highestInjuryLevel" = 'Fatal'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '361' 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/361/sequence?fatal=1

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