# NTSB investigations, AZ: VFR encounter with IMC

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 WPR22FA345](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA345.md): Piper PA46 · Seligman, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Sep 13, 2022 · N43605 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation, a loss of control, exceedance of the airplane’s design limitations, and in-flight breakup.
- [NTSB WPR17FA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA045.md): Cessna T210K · Payson, AZ · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 2, 2017 · N272EF · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot's improper decisions to begin and to continue a flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB WPR15FA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15FA072.md): Bell 206 · Benson, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 1, 2015 · N57AW · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which resulted in an inflight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning, during which he failed to identify forecasted…
- [NTSB WPR14FA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14FA172.md): NBB Glasair III · Young, AZ · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 26, 2014 · N911EX · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to enter instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB WPR12FA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12FA091.md): Cessna T206H · Show Low, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Feb 4, 2012 · N445GH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s encounter with low clouds/low visibility conditions during the initial climb, which resulted in spatial disorientation and loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB WPR12FA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12FA031.md): Cessna 182Q · Lake Havasu City, AZ · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 7, 2011 · N4701N · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's continued cruise flight into cloudy conditions at night, which resulted in a loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB WPR10FA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA120.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 28, 2010 · N293PA · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s decision to take off in marginal visual flight rules conditions, which resulted in an encounter with low clouds, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing.
- [NTSB WPR10FA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA005.md): Piper PA-24-250 · Black Canyon City, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 4, 2009 · N7471P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological weather conditions which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were low ceilings, reduced visibility, and mountainous terrain.

## 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" = 'AZ' 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" = '401' 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/401/sequence?state=AZ

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