# NTSB investigations: Fuselage main structure

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 DCA26LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26LA142.md): Boeing 787 · Houston, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Feb 27, 2026 · JA873A · Substantial damage
  > The captain’s inadvertent activation of the takeoff/go around switch at touchdown that caused an increase in the airplane pitch attitude that was not corrected before the lower fuselage contacted the runway.
- [NTSB DCA26LA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26LA115.md): Airbus A321-271NX · San Francisco, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Feb 9, 2026 · N2188J · Substantial damage
  > The first officer’s excessive aft sidestick input combined with decaying airspeed during initiation of a go-around, resulting in an increase in the airplane pitch attitude and subsequent lower fuselage contacting the runway.
- [NTSB DCA25LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA25LA085.md): Boeing 767 · San Bernardino, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 10, 2025 · N324UP · Substantial damage
  > Encounter with windshear during landing which resulted in a tailstrike.
- [NTSB CEN23LA319](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA319.md): Alisport Silent 2 Electro · Wallis, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 22, 2023 · N64JG · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the tail boom structure due to cyclic torsion overloading as of a result of flutter in the empennage. The reason for the flutter could not be determined.
- [NTSB WPR22FA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA169.md): Bearhawk LSA · Kalispell, MT · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 30, 2022 · N1908A · Substantial damage
  > An excessive pitch control input for undetermined reasons while the airplane was operating above maneuvering speed, which led to a structural failure of the right wing during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the poor construction quality of the…
- [NTSB CEN20LA327](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA327.md): Grumman G164 · Alicia, AR · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2020 · N8105K · Substantial damage
  > Inadequate maintenance of panel fasteners, which led to a side panel coming loose during takeoff and the pilot having to make a subsequent forced landing to a flooded rice field when the airplane became difficult to control.
- [NTSB ANC20LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20LA064.md): Piper PA22 · Soldotna, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 4, 2020 · N3604A · Substantial damage
  > The delamination of the fabric material from the fuselage above the windscreen due to failed adhesive, which resulted in disrupted airflow and a subsequent hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR19LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA171.md): Beech 35 · Deer Park, WA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 3, 2019 · N2839V · Substantial damage
  > An empennage flutter event for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
- [NTSB GAA18CA329](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA329.md): Dobbs George Coot · Malone, WI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 7, 2018 · N100TN · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper decision to take off with a known structural issue, which resulted in hull damage.
- [NTSB WPR17FA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA089.md): Appleby Nieuport 28 · Paso Robles, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 23, 2017 · N6190 · Substantial damage
  > The failure of unknown personnel to properly safety an elevator control cable turnbuckle, which disconnected in flight resulting in loss of pitch control. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate design of the experimental airplane, which did not…
- [NTSB DCA16FA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA16FA217.md): Boeing 737-700 · Pensacola, FL · Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 27, 2016 · N766SW · Substantial damage
  > A low-cycle fatigue crack in the dovetail of fan blade No. 23, which resulted in the fan blade separating in flight and impacting the fan case. This impact caused the fan blade to fracture into fragments that traveled farther than expected into the inlet,…
- [NTSB GAA15CA251](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA251.md): Air Tractor AT 402A · Fort Pierre, SD · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 4, 2015 · N321DA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance, which resulted in the airplane striking guy-wires during aerial application operations.
- [NTSB ERA11FA431](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA431.md): Beech G35 · Byron, GA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 31, 2011 · N156RP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s sustained flight at airspeeds in excess of the airplane's never exceed speed during a steep descent, which resulted in a subsequent in-flight structural failure due to overstress.
- [NTSB DCA11MA039](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA11MA039.md): Boeing 737 · Yuma, AZ · Accident · Minor injuries · Major investigation · Final report · Apr 1, 2011 · N632SW · Substantial damage
  > the improper installation of the fuselage crown skin panel at the S-4L lap joint during the manufacturing process, which resulted in multiple site damage fatigue cracking and eventual failure of the lower skin panel. Contributing to the injuries was flight…
- [NTSB CEN11IA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11IA108.md): Piaggio P180 · Columbus, OH · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Dec 13, 2010 · N140SL · No damage
  > The failure of water to properly drain through the fuselage drain holes, thus becoming trapped and freezing around the flight control cables, which resulted in the loss of control authority to the airplane's ailerons, elevator, and rudder.
- [NTSB CEN09LA586](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA586.md): Cessna 172S · Duluth, MN · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 7, 2009 · N568ND · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during landing, resulting in a hard landing and a propeller strike with the ground.
- [NTSB CEN09CA521](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09CA521.md): Maule M-4-220C · Abernathy, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 25, 2009 · N11EN · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the fuselage's tube structure due to corrosion during a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN09LA379](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN09LA379.md): Urban Air Sro UFM-13 · Bourne Stage, TX · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 23, 2009 · N17UA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the aircraft’s placarded never-exceed speed (Vne), resulting in aerodynamic flutter in the empennage and the subsequent in-flight structural failure of the aft portion of the fuselage.

## 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."mKey" IN (SELECT f.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f WHERE f."inProbableCause" AND starts_with(f."findingCode", '01035310'))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035310/cases?cause=1

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OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.
