# NTSB investigations, 2020: 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 WPR21LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA021.md): Robinson R44 · Pahrump, NV · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Oct 16, 2020 · N500DL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control while hovering low over a body a water while facing into the sun, which resulted in a loss of visual reference and subsequent impact with the lake surface.
- [NTSB WPR20LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA319.md): Cessna T182 · Santa Barbara, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 27, 2020 · N157RC · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation after entering instrument meteorological conditions.
- [NTSB CEN20CA182](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA182.md): Cessna 120 · Chatham, IL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · May 15, 2020 · N120MZ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue flight in instrument meteorological conditions in an airplane not equipped for instrument flight, which forced her to perform a precautionary landing to a muddy field resulting in the airplane nosing over.
- [NTSB CEN20CA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA119.md): Cessna 208 · Rhinelander, WI · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 5, 2020 · N706FX · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper decision to continue an instrument approach to landing following a loss of visual reference with the runway, which resulted in the airplane touching down left of the runway in snow and flipping over.
- [NTSB ANC20CA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20CA023.md): Robinson R44 · Talkeetna, AK · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Feb 21, 2020 · N716JL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from snow covered terrain during an en route descent in flat light conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC20FA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20FA017.md): Piper PA32R · Tuntutuliak, AK · Accident · 5 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Feb 6, 2020 · N7632C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into reduced visibility, including likely flat light and/or white out conditions, which resulted in a controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident were the operator’s inadequate operational…

## 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") = 2020
  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=2020

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