# NTSB investigations, AL: Altitude

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 ERA26LA285](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA285.md): Bell 206L-3 · Tuscumbia, AL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 29, 2026 · N29AE · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to keep the tail rotor clear of an obstacle while attempting to land.
- [NTSB ERA24LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA060.md): Cessna 150 · Mount Vernon, AL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Dec 8, 2023 · N5952T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to operate the airplane at a low altitude over a river, and his failure to maintain clearance from the river while maneuvering.
- [NTSB ERA22FA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22FA343.md): Eurocopter AS350 · Andalusia, AL · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 29, 2022 · N124LN · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s acute incapacitation by a syncopal episode, which resulted in the helicopter departing controlled flight and colliding with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA19LA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA263.md): Weatherly 620 · Russellville, AL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 2, 2019 · N90104 · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to see and avoid powerlines during low-altitude agricultural spraying flight operations.
- [NTSB ERA17CA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17CA087.md): Cessna 170 · Hayden, AL · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jan 12, 2017 · N1387D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during the approach.
- [NTSB GAA15LA296](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15LA296.md): Bell 206 · Ozark, AL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 24, 2015 · N49660 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while hovering, which resulted in the helicopter's skid impacting terrain, subsequent abnormal airframe vibrations, and a hard landing during the subsequent hovering autorotation.
- [NTSB ERA15CA364](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA364.md): Hughes 269B · Hartford, AL · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 19, 2015 · N141LL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his subsequent failure to attain adequate altitude during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a wire fence.
- [NTSB ERA15FA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA178.md): Hughes 369D · Cherokee, AL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 6, 2015 · N555JC · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's spatial disorientation during a low-level river crossing in rainy, gray, reduced visibility meteorological conditions, which resulted in the helicopter's subsequent descent and impact with the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's…
- [NTSB ERA15CA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA064.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Athens, AL · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Nov 30, 2014 · N7422W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude while landing in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a collision with power lines while on final approach.
- [NTSB ERA15CA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA055.md): Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter MD500 · Decatur, AL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Nov 18, 2014 · N8371F · Substantial damage
  > An undetermined pilot's failure to maintain clearance from an electrical transmission tower resulting in substantial damage to a main rotor blade. Postaccident investigation could not determine which of two pilots was flying the helicopter at the time the…
- [NTSB ERA13LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA012.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Birmingham, AL · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 6, 2012 · N80KW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a missed approach in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's overreliance on the autopilot system and his inability to hand-fly the airplane once the autopilot…
- [NTSB ERA12FA565](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA565.md): Yakovlev YAK 52 · Brownsboro, AL · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 16, 2012 · N2207X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of control while performing a low-level aerobatic maneuver, which resulted in collision with terrain.
- [NTSB MIA08CA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08CA137.md): Air Tractor AT-402B · Muscle Shoals, AL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 12, 2008 · N402BT · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from utility wires during low altitude maneuvers.

## 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."eventStateOrRegion" = 'AL' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT f.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_findings.parquet' f WHERE starts_with(f."findingCode", '01062012'))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012/cases?state=AL

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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.
