# Emergency descent - Type: NTSB phase of flight (CICTT main phase) - CICTT code: 600 - Cases: 507 - Fatal cases: 86 - In the older codes (1982 to 2007): 148 - All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600/cases.md - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600 ## Cases per year (current codes / all) - 1963: 2 / 2 - 1964: 5 / 5 - 1965: 4 / 4 - 1966: 10 / 10 - 1967: 3 / 3 - 1968: 6 / 6 - 1969: 3 / 3 - 1970: 6 / 6 - 1971: 3 / 3 - 1972: 2 / 2 - 1973: 7 / 7 - 1974: 4 / 4 - 1975: 6 / 6 - 1976: 3 / 3 - 1977: 4 / 4 - 1978: 10 / 10 - 1979: 5 / 5 - 1980: 4 / 4 - 1981: 3 / 3 - 1982: 0 / 1 - 1983: 0 / 2 - 1984: 0 / 8 - 1985: 0 / 10 - 1986: 0 / 11 - 1987: 0 / 9 - 1988: 0 / 4 - 1989: 0 / 3 - 1990: 0 / 4 - 1991: 0 / 8 - 1992: 0 / 4 - 1993: 0 / 5 - 1994: 0 / 5 - 1995: 0 / 3 - 1996: 0 / 3 - 1997: 0 / 3 - 1998: 0 / 8 - 1999: 0 / 6 - 2000: 0 / 5 - 2001: 0 / 5 - 2002: 0 / 11 - 2003: 0 / 6 - 2004: 0 / 5 - 2005: 0 / 10 - 2006: 0 / 7 - 2007: 0 / 2 - 2008: 14 / 14 - 2009: 31 / 31 - 2010: 16 / 16 - 2011: 18 / 18 - 2012: 18 / 18 - 2013: 16 / 16 - 2014: 17 / 17 - 2015: 16 / 16 - 2016: 15 / 15 - 2017: 14 / 14 - 2018: 11 / 11 - 2019: 5 / 5 - 2020: 10 / 10 - 2021: 12 / 12 - 2022: 9 / 9 - 2023: 14 / 14 - 2024: 15 / 15 - 2025: 13 / 13 - 2026: 5 / 5 ## CICTT sub-phases (1962 to 1981, 2008 on) - Autorotation (601): 211 cases - Emergency descent (600): 148 cases ## Older codes counted here (1982 to 2007) - Descent - emergency (552): 103 cases - Emergency descent/landing (576): 45 cases ## Defining events in this phase (2008 on) - [Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092): 85 cases - [Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240): 47 cases - [Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341): 44 cases - [Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900): 14 cases - [Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241): 14 cases - [Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470): 10 cases - [Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342): 8 cases - [Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120): 8 cases - [Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192): 7 cases - [Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000): 6 cases ## In the probable cause (2008 on) - [Aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): 97 cases - [Not determined, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): 43 cases - [Delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): 34 cases - [Prop/rotor parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052): 28 cases - [Airspeed](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062010): 24 cases - [Use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): 21 cases - [Incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): 21 cases - [Fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): 21 cases - [Landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): 19 cases - [Descent rate](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062037): 19 cases ## Aircraft models (registry, all years) - [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta): 32 cases - [Hughes 269A](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269a): 13 cases - [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b): 9 cases - [Hughes 269B](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-269b): 8 cases - [Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-helicopters-hughes-369d): 8 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R22](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22): 8 cases - [Bell 47G-3B-1](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-3b-1): 7 cases - [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii): 7 cases - [Bell 407](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-407): 6 cases - [Bell 47D1](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1): 5 cases ## Newest cases - [NTSB ERA27LA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA27LA007), Oct 7, 2026: Piper PA-32-260 (N31RF), Whiteville, NC, investigation ongoing - [NTSB ERA26LA327](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA327), Sep 3, 2026: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (N276SH), McMinnville, TN, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. - [NTSB CEN26LA276](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA276), Aug 2, 2026: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N26KL), Bennett, IA, substantial damage, investigation ongoing - [NTSB CEN26LA181](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA181), May 7, 2026: Hughes 369HS (N926ES), Durango, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving the instruction and the pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation in shifting wind conditions, which resulted in a… - [NTSB ERA26LA170](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA170), Apr 11, 2026: Bell 407 (N314JP), Jacksonville, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving… - [NTSB GAA26WA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA26WA016), Oct 30, 2025: Robinson R44 (G-CFNF), Bentley, United Kingdom, destroyed, 1 fatal - [NTSB ERA26LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA026), Oct 23, 2025: Eurocopter AS350 (N545HF), Wetumpka, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving… - [NTSB CEN26LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA027), Oct 21, 2025: Robinson Helicopter R22 (N74583), Springfield, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and the flight instructor’s lack of proper remedial action during the practice autorotation that resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain.… - [NTSB GAA26WA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA26WA023), Oct 18, 2025: Guimbal Cabri (HB-ZYZ), Locarno, Switzerland, no damage - [NTSB CEN25LA380](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA380), Sep 16, 2025: Bell 407 (N407WA), Decatur, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The instructor candidate’s erroneous operation of the throttle during an autorotation from altitude with power recovery, which resulted in a hard landing. 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.