# Personality/attitude - Type: NTSB finding section - Path: [Personnel issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02) › [Psychological](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/0202) › Personality/attitude - NTSB code: 020210 - Cases: 109 - In the probable cause: 79 - Fatal cases: 56 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/020210/cases.md - Cases with it in the probable cause: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/020210/cases.md?cause=1 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/020210 ## Cases per year (in the probable cause / all) - 2008: 5 / 5 - 2009: 3 / 8 - 2010: 1 / 2 - 2011: 6 / 7 - 2012: 5 / 7 - 2013: 8 / 10 - 2014: 5 / 5 - 2015: 5 / 6 - 2016: 7 / 10 - 2017: 9 / 13 - 2018: 5 / 7 - 2019: 6 / 7 - 2020: 1 / 3 - 2021: 5 / 8 - 2022: 3 / 3 - 2023: 3 / 3 - 2024: 1 / 2 - 2025: 1 / 3 ## Findings - [Motivation/respond to pressure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021025): 53 cases, 46 in the probable cause - [Complacency](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021020): 23 cases, 13 in the probable cause - [Self confidence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021010): 16 cases, 7 in the probable cause - [Confidence/reliance on equip](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021015): 11 cases, 7 in the probable cause - [Personality](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021030): 8 cases, 6 in the probable cause - [Personality/attitude, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021000): 3 cases, 1 in the probable cause ## Defining events in these cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 21 cases - [VFR encounter with IMC](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/401): 17 cases - [Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220): 8 cases - [Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192): 8 cases - [Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120): 8 cases - [Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900): 6 cases - [Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490): 5 cases - [Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230): 5 cases - [Loss of visual reference](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402): 3 cases - [Windshear or thunderstorm](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/390): 3 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 5 cases - [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n): 3 cases - [Eurocopter AS 350 B2](https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2): 2 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii): 2 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R44](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44): 2 cases - [Piper PA-32R-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300): 2 cases - [Mooney M20E](https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e): 2 cases - [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22): 2 cases - [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s): 2 cases - [Cessna R172K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-r172k): 2 cases ## Other findings in the same cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 62 cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 43 cases - [Performance/control parameters, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000) (Aircraft): 20 cases - [Spatial disorientation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022025) (Personnel issues): 17 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010) (Aircraft): 12 cases - [Lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030) (Personnel issues): 11 cases - [Dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020) (Environmental issues): 10 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 10 cases - [Qualification/certification](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031010) (Personnel issues): 10 cases - [Altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012) (Aircraft): 10 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB ANC25LA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA083), Aug 2, 2025: Aviat A-1B (N900HY), Chisana, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude. - [NTSB ANC25LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA064), Jun 30, 2025: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N531AT), Palmer, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s diverted attention during takeoff in flat light conditions, which resulted in a loss of visual reference with terrain. - [NTSB ERA25LA251](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA251), Jun 27, 2025: Piper PA-22-135 (N3228B), Elberta, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Pilot’s decision to take off from a wet and unmaintained field that was unsuitable for airplane operations, resulting in a loss of control and subsequent nose over. Contributing was the pilot’s… - [NTSB CEN25LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA049), Nov 24, 2024: Piper PA-28-140 (N6575W), Camdenton, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s poor flight planning which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. - [NTSB WPR24FA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24FA124), Apr 14, 2024: Gulfstream 695A (N965BC), San Bernardino, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s continued use of the airplane’s autopilot after flight into moderate to severe icing conditions, which resulted in an exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and an… - [NTSB WPR24FA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24FA040), Nov 26, 2023: Piper PA-28-180 (N7763W), Mertzon, TX, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The non-instrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight into night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the… - [NTSB CEN23FA190](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA190), May 17, 2023: Beech E-90 (N522MJ), Winslow, AR, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s poor preflight decision to depart into known instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) without a functional autopilot system, which resulted in spatial disorientation and his failure to… - [NTSB CEN23LA186](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA186), May 6, 2023: Beech F33A (N2294L), Tahlequah, OK, minor damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to remove the wheel chocks before engine start which resulted in the inadvertent contact with the propeller while the engine was running. - [NTSB CEN23LA091](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA091), Dec 20, 2022: Cessna 150G (N2930J), Pocahantas, IA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s landing flare which resulted in a bounced landing and the nose landing gear collapsing. Contributing to the accident was the airplane's encounter with adverse weather conditions which led… - [NTSB ERA23FA048](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA048), Nov 3, 2022: Beech A36 (N84R), Harlan, KY, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions during an approach to land at an airport in mountainous terrain, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.… NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted. Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1). NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names. --- 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.