# Rough terrain - Type: NTSB finding subsection - Path: [Environmental issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03) › [Physical environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/0302) › [Terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/030210) › Rough terrain - NTSB code: 03021015 - Cases: 442 - In the probable cause: 119 - Fatal cases: 14 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md - Cases with it in the probable cause: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md?cause=1 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015 ## Cases per year (in the probable cause / all) - 2008: 33 / 57 - 2009: 7 / 48 - 2010: 3 / 39 - 2011: 3 / 20 - 2012: 2 / 25 - 2013: 2 / 28 - 2014: 3 / 34 - 2015: 1 / 19 - 2016: 2 / 15 - 2017: 2 / 13 - 2018: 7 / 19 - 2019: 14 / 19 - 2020: 9 / 17 - 2021: 4 / 19 - 2022: 4 / 18 - 2023: 4 / 14 - 2024: 8 / 15 - 2025: 8 / 17 - 2026: 3 / 6 ## Defining events in these cases - [Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341): 80 cases - [Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230): 64 cases - [Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342): 39 cases - [Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192): 38 cases - [Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096): 24 cases - [Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340): 22 cases - [Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191): 16 cases - [Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490): 15 cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 14 cases - [Loss of lift](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/500): 13 cases ## Aircraft models (registry) - [Piper PA-18-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150): 19 cases - [Cessna 180](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180): 7 cases - [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152): 6 cases - [Beech A36](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36): 6 cases - [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12): 5 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta): 4 cases - [Grumman Acft ENG Cor-Schweizer G-164A](https://openairdocs.org/model/grumman-acft-eng-cor-schweizer-g-164a): 4 cases - [Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1](https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da20-c1): 4 cases - [Cessna U206G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206g): 4 cases - [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s): 4 cases ## Other findings in the same cases - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040) (Personnel issues): 97 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520) (Personnel issues): 86 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010) (Aircraft): 67 cases - [Directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020) (Aircraft): 65 cases - [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000) (Not determined): 48 cases - [Fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030) (Personnel issues): 42 cases - [Preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510) (Personnel issues): 25 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015) (Personnel issues): 21 cases - [Recip engine power section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520) (Aircraft): 18 cases - [Recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530) (Aircraft): 17 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB WPR26LA230](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA230), Jun 21, 2026: Stephen Aberle Chipper CH-2A (N618SA), Alva, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to taxi the tailwheel-equipped airplane over uneven terrain while operating with limited forward visibility, which resulted in the left main landing gear entering a hole. - [NTSB WPR26LA222](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA222), Jun 17, 2026: Cessna 172S (N96FA), Death Valley, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed and encounter with a tailwind while landing on a rough runway, which resulted in a runway overrun and subsequent nose over. - [NTSB ERA26LA245](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA245), Jun 7, 2026: Taylorcraft DCO-65 (N47123), Renovo, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control during an off-airport landing. - [NTSB CEN26LA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA165), Apr 14, 2026: Pipistrel Alpha Trainer (N495LP), Peyton, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots’ inadequate preflight fuel planning and improper in-flight fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and subsequent forced landing to a field. - [NTSB WPR26LA134](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA134), Mar 20, 2026: Zlin Aviation Sro Savage CUB-S (N9111), Young, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during landing. - [NTSB WPR26LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA089), Jan 22, 2026: Piper PA-23 (N1210P), Newkirk, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilots inadequate preflight planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent landing on rough terrain. - [NTSB CEN26LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA073), Dec 13, 2025: Rockwell International 114 (N5879N), Stroud, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of power due to fuel exhaustion. - [NTSB CEN26LA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA019), Oct 10, 2025: Bellanca 7GCBC (N53853), Bonilla, SD, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate flight planning and his failure to maintain aircraft control during the precautionary off-airport landing. - [NTSB CEN25LA403](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA403), Sep 29, 2025: Aeronca 11AC (N86326), Longmont, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot’s improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing. - [NTSB WPR25LA298](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA298), Sep 27, 2025: Cessna 185A (N186X), Ilwaco, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. 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.