# Approach - Type: NTSB phase of flight (CICTT main phase) - CICTT code: 500 - Cases: 20989 - Fatal cases: 4386 - In the older codes (1982 to 2007): 7752 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500/cases.md - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500 ## Cases per year (current codes / all) - 1962: 14 / 14 - 1963: 10 / 10 - 1964: 530 / 530 - 1965: 502 / 502 - 1966: 600 / 600 - 1967: 640 / 640 - 1968: 597 / 597 - 1969: 572 / 572 - 1970: 583 / 583 - 1971: 550 / 550 - 1972: 522 / 522 - 1973: 543 / 543 - 1974: 541 / 541 - 1975: 530 / 530 - 1976: 504 / 504 - 1977: 586 / 586 - 1978: 567 / 567 - 1979: 541 / 541 - 1980: 508 / 508 - 1981: 473 / 473 - 1982: 0 / 433 - 1983: 0 / 445 - 1984: 0 / 433 - 1985: 0 / 408 - 1986: 0 / 382 - 1987: 0 / 327 - 1988: 0 / 342 - 1989: 0 / 324 - 1990: 0 / 334 - 1991: 0 / 308 - 1992: 0 / 291 - 1993: 0 / 276 - 1994: 0 / 251 - 1995: 0 / 301 - 1996: 0 / 272 - 1997: 0 / 261 - 1998: 0 / 238 - 1999: 0 / 244 - 2000: 0 / 256 - 2001: 0 / 230 - 2002: 0 / 232 - 2003: 0 / 236 - 2004: 0 / 216 - 2005: 0 / 229 - 2006: 0 / 225 - 2007: 0 / 258 - 2008: 210 / 210 - 2009: 190 / 190 - 2010: 176 / 176 - 2011: 194 / 194 - 2012: 181 / 181 - 2013: 189 / 189 - 2014: 178 / 178 - 2015: 158 / 158 - 2016: 160 / 160 - 2017: 191 / 191 - 2018: 172 / 172 - 2019: 163 / 163 - 2020: 156 / 156 - 2021: 178 / 178 - 2022: 204 / 204 - 2023: 186 / 186 - 2024: 163 / 163 - 2025: 186 / 186 - 2026: 89 / 89 ## CICTT sub-phases (1962 to 1981, 2008 on) - Approach (500): 8,993 cases - Approach-VFR go-around (509): 2,312 cases - Approach-VFR pattern final (508): 918 cases - Approach-VFR pattern downwind (506): 273 cases - Approach-VFR pattern base (507): 251 cases - Approach-IFR final approach (502): 188 cases - Approach-IFR missed approach (504): 169 cases - Approach-IFR initial approach (501): 72 cases - Approach-VFR pattern crosswind (505): 45 cases - Approach-circling (IFR) (503): 16 cases ## Older codes counted here (1982 to 2007) - Approach - VFR pattern - final approach (564): 2,846 cases - Approach (560): 1,481 cases - Go-around (VFR) (565): 1,192 cases - Approach - VFR pattern - downwind (561): 550 cases - Approach - FAF/outer marker to threshold (IFR) (567): 499 cases - Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final (563): 492 cases - Approach - VFR pattern - base turn (562): 269 cases - Approach - IAF to FAF/outer marker (IFR) (566): 184 cases - Missed approach (IFR) (569): 157 cases - Circling (IFR) (568): 82 cases ## Defining events in this phase (2008 on) - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 765 cases - [Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341): 434 cases - [Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120): 243 cases - [Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241): 222 cases - [Collision during takeoff/land](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/490): 164 cases - [Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192): 158 cases - [Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191): 152 cases - [Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342): 136 cases - [Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000): 113 cases - [Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330): 103 cases ## In the probable cause (2008 on) - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): 905 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): 380 cases - [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): 333 cases - [Decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): 286 cases - [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): 269 cases - [Descent/approach/glide path](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062040): 219 cases - [Angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): 215 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): 195 cases - [Altitude](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062012): 190 cases - [Fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): 186 cases ## Aircraft models (registry, all years) - [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 599 cases - [Piper PA-28-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180): 323 cases - [Cessna 152](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152): 288 cases - [Cessna 150L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l): 275 cases - [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m): 225 cases - [Cessna 150F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150f): 224 cases - [Cessna 172N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172n): 211 cases - [Cessna 150G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150g): 184 cases - [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250): 182 cases - [Cessna 150M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150m): 179 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB WPR27LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR27LA021), Oct 19, 2026: Cessna 182A (N5153D), Galveston, TX, investigation ongoing - [NTSB WPR27FA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR27FA015), Oct 12, 2026: Bertling Courtney MXL-2 (N947BX), Newberg, OR, 1 fatal, investigation ongoing - [NTSB CEN27LA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN27LA012), Oct 10, 2026: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 (N96YY), Flint, MI, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB DCA27WA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA27WA010), Oct 4, 2026: Boeing 737 (VH-VOL), Canberra, Australia, incident, no damage - [NTSB WPR27LA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR27LA004), Oct 3, 2026: Head Balloons AX8-88B (N4502A), Albuquerque, NM, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB DCA27WA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA27WA015), Oct 1, 2026: Airbus A330-302 (N827NW), Cassano Magnago, Italy - [NTSB CEN26LA327](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA327), Sep 27, 2026: Haberman Habercraft (N10516), Pelican Rapids, MN, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB ERA26LA362](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA362), Sep 22, 2026: Piper PA-28-140 (N3713K), Canon, GA, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB DCA26WA372](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA26WA372), Sep 22, 2026: Airbus Canada BD500 (VH-X4A), Garbutt, Australia, incident - [NTSB WPR26LA347](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA347), Sep 18, 2026: Bell 206B-III (N50141), Creswell, NC, substantial damage, investigation ongoing From 1962 to 1981 and from 2008 on, NTSB codes phases with the CICTT phases; from 1982 to 2007 with its older phase codes, counted under the CICTT main phase each maps to. Each case counts once, on its first aircraft: by its defining event's phase from 2008, its first event's before 1982, and its first occurrence's from 1982 to 2007. Compare years within an era: a first occurrence (1982 to 2007) is often in flight, before the landing, so landings count lower then. 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.