NTSB finding · Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Auto flight system

Cases
8
In the probable cause
7 (88%)
Fatal cases
4
NTSB code
01022200

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008. Earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes, so they aren’t counted here.

When and where

In green, cases where NTSB made it part of the probable cause; in gray, a factor or other finding. Findings are coded with the final report, often a year or more after the event, so the latest years are incomplete.

Cases per year

2008In the probable causeFactor only2026
Cases with Auto flight system, general per year: 8 cases
20171
20181
20193
20232
20241
Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "SELECT year(c.\"eventDate\") AS year, count(DISTINCT f.case_mkey) AS cases,
    count(DISTINCT f.case_mkey) FILTER (WHERE f.\"inProbableCause\") AS in_probable_cause
  FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c ON c.\"mKey\" = f.case_mkey
  WHERE starts_with(f.\"findingCode\", '01022200') AND c.\"eventDate\" >= DATE '2000-01-01'
  GROUP BY 1
  ORDER BY 1"

Prints the counts as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.

In the same cases

Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "WITH matched AS (SELECT DISTINCT case_mkey, aircrafts_position FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' WHERE starts_with(\"findingCode\", '01022200'))
  SELECT * FROM (
  SELECT 'Defining event' AS kind, e.\"tier2Number\" AS code, max(e.\"eventTier2Name\") AS name, count(DISTINCT f.case_mkey) AS cases
  FROM matched f JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e ON e.case_mkey = f.case_mkey AND e.aircrafts_position = f.aircrafts_position AND e.\"isDefiningEvent\"
  WHERE e.\"tier2Number\" <> ''
  GROUP BY ALL
  UNION ALL
  SELECT 'Aircraft model', a.aircraft_model_code, any_value(concat_ws(' ', m.manufacturer, m.model)), count(DISTINCT f.case_mkey)
  FROM matched f JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = f.case_mkey AND a.position = f.aircrafts_position
  LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/faa_aircraft_model.parquet' m ON m.code = a.aircraft_model_code
  WHERE a.aircraft_model_code IS NOT NULL
  GROUP BY ALL
  UNION ALL
  SELECT 'Other finding', left(g.\"findingCode\", 8), max(g.\"tier4Name\"), count(DISTINCT g.case_mkey)
  FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' g
  WHERE g.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM matched) AND NOT starts_with(g.\"findingCode\", '01022200') AND g.\"findingCode\" GLOB '[0-9][0-9]*'
  GROUP BY ALL
  )
  QUALIFY row_number() OVER (PARTITION BY kind ORDER BY cases DESC) <= 10
  ORDER BY kind, cases DESC"

Prints the counts as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.

Newest cases · 8

NTSB CEN24LA380Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportXag P100 PRO · Francesville, INThe remote pilot’s in-flight loss of control of the unmanned aircraft due to GPS signal fluctuations, which resulted in a collision with, and serious injury to, a person assisting the operation.Aug 7, 2024 · N268MQ · Minor damageNTSB ERA24FA003Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportBell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Croydon, NHThe pilot’s loss of control during the initial climb in dark night conditions due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a steep banking descent into trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent night flight experience,…Oct 8, 2023 · N802JR · Substantial damageNTSB CEN23LA135Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBell Helicopter Textron APT70 · Mineral Wells, TXThe flight crew’s loss of control of the unmanned aircraft due to software limitations. Contributing to the accident was the overly restrictive low voltage threshold limits.Mar 14, 2023 · N314AL · Substantial damageNTSB ERA19FA201Accident · 2 fatalClass 2 · FieldFinal reportBeech E55 · Hope Mills, NCThe pilot's failure to disengage an uncommanded nose-down pitch input. Contributing to the accident was improper maintenance of the pitch trim servo, which would have precluded a physical override of the pitch servo.Jun 27, 2019 · N664AR · DestroyedNTSB DCA19LA154Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAurora PAV · Manassas, VAa loss of hover lift thrust provided by the eight lift motors due to a false on-ground rotor speed reduction command, resulting from excessive vibration.Jun 4, 2019 · N83AU · Substantial damageNTSB DCA19MA086Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 767 · Trinity Bay, TXThe inappropriate response by the first officer as the pilot flying to an inadvertent activation of the go-around mode, which led to his spatial disorientation and nose-down control inputs that placed the airplane in a steep descent from which the crew did…Feb 23, 2019 · N1217A · DestroyedNTSB CEN18FA400Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCirrus Design SR22T · Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of Mexico)The pilot's incapacitation resulted in impact with the Gulf of Mexico. The reason the hypoxia recognition system did not descend the airplane as designed could not be determined as the airplane was not located.Jan 3, 2018 · N325JK · DestroyedNTSB WPR17IA086Incident · No injuriesClass 3 · IncidentFinal reportBeech A36TC · Livermore, CAA mistrim condition while the autopilot was engaged for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence, and the pilot’s subsequent failure to confirm the command bar status before disengaging the autopilot. Contributing to the accident were…Apr 10, 2017 · N755R · Minor damage
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.\"mKey\" IN (SELECT f.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f WHERE starts_with(f.\"findingCode\", '01022200'))
  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.