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Alertness/Fatigue

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NTSB finding section · Personnel issues › Physical

All 97 cases77 in the probable cause
Cases
97
In the probable cause
77 (79%)
Fatal cases
43
NTSB code
020135

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

Where

Open the map
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\", '020135') 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.

Subsections · 4

Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "SELECT left(f.\"findingCode\", 8) AS code, max(f.\"tier4Name\") AS name,
    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
  WHERE starts_with(f.\"findingCode\", '020135') AND f.\"findingCode\" GLOB '[0-9][0-9]*'
  GROUP BY 1
  ORDER BY cases DESC, code"

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

Defining events
Aircraft models

Aircraft matched to the registry by N-number and date.

Other findings
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\", '020135'))
  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\", '020135') 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 · 97

NTSB CEN26LA105Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCessna 441 · Pflugerville, TXThe pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during a rejected takeoff due to a flat nose wheel tire which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was pilot fatigue which delayed the rejected takeoff.Jan 31, 2026 · N441EC · Substantial damageNTSB CEN26LA033Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportCessna 182H · Lakeview, ARThe pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach path during landing which resulted in a collision with terrain short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the improper flap position during landing, and the pilot being fatigued.Oct 30, 2025 · N2040X · Substantial damageNTSB WPR24LA265Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBell 407 · Raft River, IDThe pilot’s misdiagnosis of an erroneous engine instrument indication and his subsequent decision to enter an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing due to degraded visual cues and low ambient light conditions. Contributing to the accident were the…Aug 3, 2024 · N20BH · Substantial damageNTSB ERA24LA030Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCessna 172 · Pembroke Pines, FLThe pilot’s loss of airplane control and descent into terrain due to spatial disorientation during a solo night cross country flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s self-reported fatigue.Oct 31, 2023 · N140FS · Substantial damageNTSB WPR23FA257Accident · 6 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCessna 550 · Murrieta, CAThe flight crew’s decision to descend below the decision altitude of an instrument approach without having the appropriate runway visual reference(s) distinctively identified and with the visibility below the minimum that was prescribed for the approach,…Jul 8, 2023 · N819KR · DestroyedNTSB WPR23LA212Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGrumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164B · Colusa, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during a low-level aerial application flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue.Jun 4, 2023 · N6750K · Substantial damageNTSB ERA23FA164Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportPiper PA-28-161 · Johns Island, SCThe pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s degraded judgement and…Mar 25, 2023 · N21480 · Substantial damageNTSB ERA23FA001Accident · 3 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportCessna 172S · Hermantown, MNThe pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during initial climb in dark night and low instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a descent into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue due to a long…Oct 2, 2022 · N262TA · Substantial damageNTSB WPR22FA354Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportPiper PA-28-140 · Sisters, ORThe non-instrument-rated pilot’s flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s degraded judgement due to fatigue.Sep 22, 2022 · N7063R · DestroyedNTSB DCA22LA126Incident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBoeing 757-236 · Tulsa, OKThe flight crew’s misidentification of the intended landing runway. Contributing to the incident were (1) the flight crew’s failure to perceive and correctly interpret visual and auditory indicators – including electronic guidance – that they were approaching…Jun 8, 2022 · N949FD · No damage
See all 97 cases
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\", '020135'))
  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.