# NTSB investigations, 2017: Loss of visual reference

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 CEN18FA061](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA061.md): Cessna 340 · Bartow, FL · Accident · 5 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 24, 2017 · N247AT · Destroyed
  > The pilot's loss of control due to spatial disorientation during takeoff in instrument meteorological conditions.
- [NTSB WPR18FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA053.md): Browning Gregory S Zodiac 601XL · Thompson's Station, TN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 21, 2017 · N929GB · Substantial damage
  > The sport pilot's decision to depart in and continue flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC18FA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC18FA012.md): Cessna U206 · Maunaloa, HI · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 10, 2017 · N732DF · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to continue visual flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions while conducting an instrument approach, which resulted in a loss of visual reference and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB GAA18CA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA069.md): Weaver David A Pulsar 912XP · Plato Center, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 2, 2017 · N912GR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to continue to land without visual reference to the airport in low light conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inability to activate the private airport’s pilot-controlled lighting system due to its configuration.
- [NTSB ANC18LA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC18LA014.md): Cessna 172 · Miami, FL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 1, 2017 · N537HF · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue the landing after a loss of visual cues during a night landing.
- [NTSB ERA18FA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA022.md): Piper PA32 · Fountain Run, KY · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 12, 2017 · N3371W · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot's intentional visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete…
- [NTSB GAA18CA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA015.md): Thomas G Parkhurst Kitfox IV · Sidney, NY · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 18, 2017 · N37TP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack following a loss of ground reference during landing in glaring sun conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin.
- [NTSB WPR18FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR18FA001.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Klamath Falls, OR · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 1, 2017 · N6083D · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument rated pilot's decision to depart on a cross-country flight with en route weather conditions forecasted to be less than visual meteorological conditions and then to continue flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in…
- [NTSB CEN17FA362](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA362.md): Mitsubishi MU 2B-40 · Ainsworth, NE · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 23, 2017 · N73MA · Destroyed
  > The pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB ANC17FA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17FA049.md): Piper PA-18AS · Tyonek, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 24, 2017 · N1905A · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot's decision to initiate a visual flight rules flight into dark night, marginal visual flight rules to instrument flight rules conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB WPR17LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA181.md): Rans S9 · Athol, ID · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 4, 2017 · N519TB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of pitch attitude and ground proximity awareness, which resulted in an unintentionally steep initial climb and an overcorrection into a steep descent and ground impact.
- [NTSB ANC17LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA040.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Solomon, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2017 · N4138M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above water, and his loss of situational awareness, which resulted in an inadvertent descent and collision with water.
- [NTSB ANC17FA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17FA039.md): Cessna U206 · Port Alsworth, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · Jul 27, 2017 · N1749R · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to continue visual flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of visual reference and subsequent controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was (1) the inadequate preflight…
- [NTSB GAA17CA474](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA474.md): Cessna 210 · Bettles, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 8, 2017 · N9664X · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath during the approach to the runway over glassy water and in glaring sun conditions.
- [NTSB GAA17CA421](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA421.md): Aviat A 1 · Dixie, ID · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 3, 2017 · N368HY · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath to landing with sun glare and downdraft conditions, which resulted in the airplane landing in a ravine short of the runway.
- [NTSB GAA17CA388](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA388.md): Cessna 207 · Hope, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 3, 2017 · N9620M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB CEN17LA244](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA244.md): Air Tractor AT 602 · Stirum, ND · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 29, 2017 · N4196Y · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to attempt flight with low-level fog in the area, which resulted in an encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB ANC17LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA025.md): Airbus AS350 · Juneau, AK · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 23, 2017 · N207CH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to depart into an area of degraded visual meteorological and flat light conditions, which resulted in a loss of visual references and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC17FA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17FA021.md): Cessna 208B · Chignik Lake, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 1, 2017 · N803TH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into an area of mountainous terrain and instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Contributing to the accident was the company's failure to provide the pilot…
- [NTSB CEN17FA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA168.md): Pilatus PC 12 · Amarillo, TX · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · Apr 29, 2017 · N933DC · Destroyed
  > The pilot's loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during the initial climb after takeoff in night instrument meteorological conditions and moderate turbulence.
- [NTSB WPR17FA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA105.md): Socata TB 20 Trinidad · Sierraville, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 17, 2017 · N28070 · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into mountainous terrain.
- [NTSB GAA17CA225](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA225.md): Weatherly 620B · Lewistown, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 10, 2017 · N9004M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during low-altitude maneuvers in flat light conditions.
- [NTSB GAA17CA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA215.md): Cessna 182 · Blue Earth, MN · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 3, 2017 · N8889X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue the night, visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain while on final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper use of an electronic flight…
- [NTSB ERA17FA139](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA139.md): Mooney M20J · Aberdeen, MS · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 28, 2017 · N643RJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain after takeoff in dark night conditions for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
- [NTSB GAA17CA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA147.md): Cessna A185 · Fairbanks, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 19, 2017 · N185AE · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath to the runway and to use the vertical guidance system.
- [NTSB WPR17FA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA055.md): Mooney M20J · Lake Hughes, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 12, 2017 · N6201N · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's controlled flight into mountainous terrain while attempting to operate under visual flight rules in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
- [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.

## 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") = 2017
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '402' 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/402/sequence?year=2017

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