# NTSB investigations: Horizontal stabilizer

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 ERA25LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA040.md): Hughes 369D · Waycross, GA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Nov 5, 2024 · N11AS · Substantial damage
  > An encounter with a foreign object, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR24LA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA300.md): Pacific Aerospace 750XL · Mulino, OR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 31, 2024 · N902ST · Substantial damage
  > The skydiver’s unintentional parachute deployment and subsequent entanglement with the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB DCA24LA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA24LA295.md): Airbus A330-323 · Atlanta, GA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 31, 2024 · N808NW · 2 aircraft · Minor damage
  > Delta Air Lines flight crew’s incorrect evaluation of the clearance between their airplane and the airplane directly ahead of them as they made a 90 degree right turn onto an adjacent taxiway.
- [NTSB CEN24LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA197.md): Cessna U206 · Butler, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 25, 2024 · N29173 · Destroyed
  > The jumper’s unintentional deployment of his emergency parachute and subsequent impact with the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB CEN24FA160](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA160.md): Piper PA 46-350P · Hartsburg, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 16, 2024 · N451MA · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s encounter with convective weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control, the exceedance of the airplane’s never exceed speed, and the resulting overload failure of the horizontal stabilizer and subsequent failure of the…
- [NTSB WPR22FA184](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA184.md): Bruce R Prouse M24 Orion Plus · Cape Girardeau, MO · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · May 22, 2022 · N590DM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain controlled flight, which resulted in a hard left roll, excessive blade flapping and a subsequent in-flight separation of the right horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB ERA21LA106](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA106.md): American AA5 · Leesburg, VA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jan 19, 2021 · N5880L · Substantial damage
  > The weakened structure of the left horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in elevator flutter and subsequent partial separation of the left elevator in flight. Contributing to the accident were the lack of elevator authority while landing due to the damaged…
- [NTSB DCA20LA107](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA20LA107.md): Boeing 737 · Victorville, CA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 19, 2020 · N820TJ · Substantial damage
  > Improper installation of dorsal fin attach bolts which caused the dorsal fin to separate during flight, substantially damaging the left horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB CEN20LA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA173.md): Titan Titan Tornado S · Haskell, OK · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 9, 2020 · N318WH · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot/builder’s addition of winglets to the stabilator, which resulted in flutter and overstress failure of the stabilator control horn.
- [NTSB ERA20LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA080.md): Team Rocket F-1 F-1 · Suffolk, VA · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 24, 2019 · N230BW · Substantial damage
  > A structural failure of the horizontal stabilizer during aerobatic maneuvers near the airplane’s never-exceed speed. Contributing to the failure was the construction of the horizontal stabilizer that did not meet the kit manufacturer’s specifications.
- [NTSB DCA20IA034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA20IA034.md): Airbus AS 350 B2 · Los Angeles, CA · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Dec 5, 2019 · N71HD · 2 aircraft · Minor damage
  > an inflight collision with a hard object of polycarbonate construction, with size and features consistent with that of a small UAS (drone).
- [NTSB CEN19LA224](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA224.md): Piper PA18 · Osceola, WI · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 14, 2019 · N6983B · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the right horizontal stabilizer during takeoff, resulting in a loss of control and forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the installation of an unapproved stabilizer frame and failure of maintenance personnel to identify…
- [NTSB ERA19LA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA050.md): Ultralite Sro Stingsport · Clermont, FL · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Nov 17, 2018 · N494N · Substantial damage
  > An inflight failure of the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB WPR17FA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA117.md): Cessna 180 · Ventura, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 1, 2017 · N3683C · Destroyed
  > The pilot's abrupt and substantial pullup maneuver while flying the airplane above the maneuvering speed, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. The reason for the pilot's maneuver could not be determined based on the available evidence.
- [NTSB ERA15FA331](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA331.md): Cornell W F/Sahakian J A JR Giles 202 (G202) · Newburgh, NY · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 28, 2015 · N18FJ · Destroyed
  > Separation of the vertical and horizontal stabilizers from the fuselage due to a fracture that initiated at the bond between the left horizontal stabilizer and the flange that attached the horizontal stabilizer to the fuselage skin. The failure was likely…
- [NTSB CEN15IA385](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15IA385.md): Piper PA-23-250 · Joliet, IL · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Aug 27, 2015 · N900AM · Minor damage
  > A bird strike.
- [NTSB CEN13CA550](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA550.md): Piper PA-28-161 · Princeton, MN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 13, 2013 · N526PU · Substantial damage
  > An in-flight collision with a bald eagle.
- [NTSB CEN11CA679](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA679.md): Waltman Theodore J Moose · Hays, KS · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 30, 2011 · N384JP · Substantial damage
  > Rudder flutter due to the design changes to the airplane's horizontal stabilizer.
- [NTSB CEN11LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA209.md): Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 · Kingsville, TX · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 26, 2011 · N6196L · Substantial damage
  > A pre-existing crack in the front spar of the right horizontal stabilizer near a riveted fitting, causing it to fail and separate from the airplane in flight. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel comply with existing service…
- [NTSB ERA09FA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09FA029.md): Piper PA-24 · Red Hill, VA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 24, 2008 · N8820P · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control due to an improper repair to the stabilator, which resulted in an in-flight failure of the stabilator. Contributing to the accident was the descent in turbulence, at airspeeds above the maximum structural…
- [NTSB SEA08FA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08FA196.md): Debus J / Mountain S / Bowes E DEBUS-CASST-SNOSHOO · Reno, NV · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 6, 2008 · N102MB · Substantial damage
  > The movement of the airplane’s modified horizontal stabilizer trim system during an intentional high speed aerobatic maneuver that resulted in exceedence of the design stress limits of the airplane and an in-flight structural failure. Contrubuting to the…
- [NTSB CHI08CA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08CA168.md): Wolseley Motors SE5-A · Seymour, IN · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 23, 2008 · N93725 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot/builder's failure to manufacture the airplane with an appropriate engine thrust angle. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/builder's adjustment of the horizontal stabilizer which rendered the airplane uncontrollable.
- [NTSB MIA08CA088](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA088.md): William E. Furr SeaRey · Winter Springs, FL · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 10, 2008 · N815Z · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.

## 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 starts_with(f."findingCode", '01035510'))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035510/cases

---
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.
