Fatal NTSB investigations
29 cases where the defining event was Windshear or thunderstorm.
Cases per year
| 2008 | 3 |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2026 | 2 |
Where
Open the mapLatest cases
Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "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 e.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e WHERE e.\"isDefiningEvent\" AND e.\"tier2Number\" = '390')
ORDER BY c.\"eventDate\" DESC, c.\"ntsbNumber\" DESC"Prints the whole list as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.
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 e.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e WHERE e."isDefiningEvent" AND e."tier2Number" = '390') ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
Run it at the DuckDB prompt, or in any tool that reads Parquet over HTTPS. More ways to query the release are on Use the data.
NTSB WPR26FA294Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportTextron 172S · Provo, UTOn August 7, 2026, about 1549 mountain daylight time, a Textron Aviation Inc. 172S, N1842E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Provo, Utah. The flight instructor sustained serious injuries, and the pilot undergoing instruction…NTSB WPR26FA254Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportBeech 95-B55 (T42A) · Waterloo, ILOn July 9, 2026, at about 2248 central daylight time, a Beech 95-B55, N202DK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Waterloo, Illinois. The pilot and pilot rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…NTSB GAA23WA165Accident · 1 fatalClass 4 · ForeignPiper PA-32R-301 · Stella Maris, BahamasNTSB ERA23FA219Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCessna 182 · Reliance, TNThe 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 ERA22LA395Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportDiamond Aircraft Industries DA 42 · Orlando, FLThe flight crew’s insufficient evaluation of the deteriorating weather conditions in the area, which resulted in an encounter with a microburst.NTSB WPR21LA111Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportPiper PA46R-350T · Tehachapi, CAThe pilot’s encounter with mountain wave activity with severe turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing.NTSB ERA20LA315Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportVans RV9 · Steinhatchee, FLThe failure of the air traffic controller to provide hazardous weather information to the pilot, resulting in the flight’s encounter with strong updraft conditions, an inflight loss of airplane control, and an in-flight breakup. Contributing was the pilot’s…NTSB CEN19FA247Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportPiper PA28 · Ontonagon, MIThe non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions with thunderstorm activity, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of airplane control.NTSB ERA19FA188Accident · 4 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportPiper PA46 · Castalia, NCThe pilot’s failure to navigate around hazardous weather, resulting in the penetration of a thunderstorm, a loss of airplane control, and an inflight breakup. The air traffic controller’s failure to provide the pilot with adequate and timely weather…NTSB CEN19FA094Accident · 4 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna T337 · Longview, TXThe noninstrument-rated pilot's improper decision to continue flight into convective weather conditions, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its maximum maneuvering speed and the subsequent in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's…NTSB ERA17FA145Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportPipistrel Virus SW · Micanopy, FLThe pilot's intentional flight into an area of known convective thunderstorm activity, which resulted in an in-flight breakup.NTSB ERA17FA052Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportRyan Navion · New Gretna, NJThe pilot's inadequate preflight weather planning and in-flight weather evaluation, which resulted in an encounter with a strong cold front and the pilot's subsequent loss of airplane control.NTSB ERA16FA309Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna 172 · Hollywood, FLThe pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight weather planning, which resulted in continued flight into a thunderstorm and a subsequent loss of airplane control.NTSB ERA16LA028Accident · 3 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportSchumacher Lancair Super ES · Pascagoula, MSThe pilot's failure to maintain airplane control after encountering convective shower activity. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue flight into an area of known adverse weather.NTSB ERA16LA008Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172S · Seville, FLThe airplane’s encounter with a downdraft, and the pilot's decision to maneuver the airplane at a low altitude and airspeed, which provided insufficient time and altitude to recover before impacting terrain.NTSB ERA16FA006Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportColumbia Aircraft Mfg LC41 550FG · Erwin, TNThe pilot's decision to fly into a known area of adverse weather, which resulted in the airplane entering a severe thunderstorm and a subsequent loss of control.NTSB CEN14FA300Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportPiper PA 46-310P · Lehman, TXThe pilot's improper decision to enter an area of known adverse weather, which resulted in the loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the air traffic controller's failure to provide critical weather information to the pilot to help him…NTSB WPR13FA138Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna 172M · Saratoga, WYThe pilot’s decision to attempt flight into approaching adverse weather, which led to his low-level flight, encounter with mountain obscuration and moderate turbulence, and his subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the severity of the pilot’s…NTSB CEN13FA073Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna 421C · Wells, TXThe pilot’s decision to continue the flight into an area of extreme weather, which led to the in-flight encounter with a thunderstorm and structural failure of the wings and tail.NTSB ERA12FA433Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportPiper PA-32R-300 · New Site, MSThe pilot's decision to operate into a known area of adverse weather, which resulted in the inadvertent penetration of a severe thunderstorm, a subsequent loss of control, and in-flight breakup of the airplane.NTSB CEN12FA421Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportBeech E90 · Karnack, TXThe pilot's inadvertent flight into thunderstorm activity, which resulted in the loss of airplane control and the subsequent exceedance of the airplane's design limits and in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the failure of air traffic control…NTSB ERA12FA376Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportHawker Beechcraft A36 · Macon, MSThe pilot's decision to continue flight into an area of known thunderstorms, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in actual instrument meteorological conditions and his reliance on datalink…NTSB ERA12LA231Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportFirefly Balloons Firefly 8 · Fitzgerald, GAThe pilot's intentional flight into adverse weather. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing and his failure to follow the balloon manufacturer's published emergency procedure for weather deterioration during flight.NTSB ERA11FA376Accident · 5 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna A185F · Yabucoa, PRThe pilot's inadequate weather planning and improper decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an encounter with a thunderstorm and subsequent loss of control.NTSB ERA10LA511Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBallonbau Worner NL-1000/STU · Adriatic Sea, A1The crew's intentional flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in destruction of the balloon envelope by lightning strike and the subsequent uncontrolled descent to the sea.NTSB ERA10MA188Accident · 3 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportEurocopter AS-350-B3 · Brownsville, TNThe pilot's decision to attempt the flight into approaching adverse weather, resulting in an encounter with a thunderstorm with localized instrument meteorological conditions, heavy rain, and severe turbulence that led to a loss of control.NTSB ERA09FA074Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportBeech 35-B33 · Homosassa Spgs., FLThe pilot’s continued flight into known adverse weather conditions.NTSB WPR09LA043Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 170B · Hanna, UTThe flight's encounter with adverse tailwinds and downdrafts in mountainous terrain that exceeded the airplane's climb capability.NTSB CEN09FA010Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMaule MXT-7-180A · Santa Teresa, NMThe pilot's decision to takeoff and fly into a thunderstorm.