# NTSB investigations, UT: Emergency descent

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR25LA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA163.md): Rans S20 · Fairfield, UT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · May 27, 2025 · N327KM · Substantial damage
  > On May 27, 2025, about 1330 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built RANS S20 Raven, N327KM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fairfield, Utah. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14…
- [NTSB WPR24LA241](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA241.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Herriman, UT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 13, 2024 · N6960 · Substantial damage
  > A hard landing following a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the improper idle setting of the helicopter’s engine. Contributing to the loss of engine power was the instructor’s reduction of engine power past that recommended by…
- [NTSB WPR23LA191](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA191.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 · Spanish Fork, UT · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 15, 2023 · N227WM · Substantial damage
  > The instructor pilot’s improper landing flare during a straight-in autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR22LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA267.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Cedar City, UT · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 25, 2022 · N497SU · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR17FA166](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA166.md): Beech A36TC · Ogden, UT · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 26, 2017 · N60WB · Substantial damage
  > A loss of control during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined.
- [NTSB WPR13CA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13CA068.md): Robinson R22 · Logan, UT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Dec 15, 2012 · N393LE · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm. Contributing to the accident was the wet landing surface.
- [NTSB WPR11CA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA121.md): Robinson R44 · Ogden, UT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 4, 2011 · N441TB · Substantial damage
  > The certified flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate main rotor blade rpm during a practice autorotation, resulting in a hard landing and rollover.
- [NTSB LAX08CA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA159.md): Robinson R22 · Salt Lake City, UT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 31, 2008 · N268SH · Substantial damage
  > The student's improper use of the anti torque pedals during a practice hover autorotation, which resulted in the helicopter rolling over. Additional causes of the accident were the certificated flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the maneuver and…
- [NTSB DEN03LA026](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN03LA026.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Spanish Fork, UT · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 26, 2002 · N75337 · Substantial damage
  > the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and preparation and his in-flight decision/planning resulting in fuel exhaustion. A contributing factor was the rough, frozen terrain at the landing site.
- [NTSB FTW98FA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA157.md): Cessna T207A · Monument Valley, UT · Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 24, 1998 · N73780 · Substantial damage
  > The engine's total power loss due to the induction air ducting separating because of inadequate maintenance by company personnel. Factors were the failure of the manufacturer to provide non-standard operating procedures in their airplane's information manual,…
- [NTSB DEN84LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN84LA269.md): Cessna 150F · Price, UT · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 27, 1984 · N7097F · Substantial damage
  > The pilot was following a mountain road through a pass when aircraft performance became insufficient to out climb risingterrain and continued until there was insufficient manuvering room to reverse course. A forced landing was effected on the road and the…
- [NTSB DEN81FA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN81FA009.md): Hiller Acft 12E · Blanding, UT · Accident · No injuries · Closed · Nov 5, 1980 · N57972 · Substantial damage
- [NTSB DEN80DTM07](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN80DTM07.md): Aerospatial SA316B · Provo, UT · Accident · No injuries · Closed · Nov 30, 1979 · N2304P · Substantial damage
- [NTSB FTW63A0119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW63A0119.md): Fairchild F-27 · Salt Lake City, UT · Accident · 3 fatal · Closed · Jan 17, 1963 · N2703 · Destroyed

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
WITH phase_names(main, name) AS (VALUES (100, 'Prior to flight'), (150, 'Standing'), (200, 'Pushback/towing'), (250, 'Taxi'), (300, 'Takeoff'), (350, 'Initial climb'), (400, 'Enroute'), (450, 'Maneuvering'), (500, 'Approach'), (550, 'Landing'), (600, 'Emergency descent'), (650, 'Uncontrolled descent'), (700, 'Post-impact'), (750, 'After landing'), (800, 'Other'), (990, 'Unknown')),
  crosswalk(code, main, name) AS (VALUES (500, 150, 'Standing'), (501, 150, 'Standing - pre-flight'), (502, 150, 'Standing - starting engine(s)'), (503, 150, 'Standing - engine(s) operating'), (504, 150, 'Standing - engine(s) not operating'), (505, 150, 'Standing - idling rotors'), (510, 250, 'Taxi'), (511, 200, 'Taxi - pushback/tow'), (512, 250, 'Taxi - to takeoff'), (513, 250, 'Taxi - from landing'), (514, 250, 'Taxi - aerial'), (520, 300, 'Takeoff'), (521, 300, 'Takeoff - roll/run'), (522, 350, 'Takeoff - initial climb'), (523, 300, 'Takeoff - aborted'), (530, 400, 'Climb'), (531, 400, 'Climb - to cruise'), (540, 400, 'Cruise'), (541, 400, 'Cruise - normal'), (542, 400, 'Maneuvering - holding (IFR)'), (550, 400, 'Descent'), (551, 400, 'Descent - normal'), (552, 600, 'Descent - emergency'), (553, 650, 'Descent - uncontrolled'), (560, 500, 'Approach'), (561, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - downwind'), (562, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - base turn'), (563, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - base leg/base to final'), (564, 500, 'Approach - VFR pattern - final approach'), (565, 500, 'Go-around (VFR)'), (566, 500, 'Approach - IAF to FAF/outer marker (IFR)'), (567, 500, 'Approach - FAF/outer marker to threshold (IFR)'), (568, 500, 'Circling (IFR)'), (569, 500, 'Missed approach (IFR)'), (570, 550, 'Landing'), (571, 550, 'Landing - flare/touchdown'), (572, 550, 'Landing - roll'), (573, 550, 'Landing - aborted'), (574, 550, 'Emergency landing'), (575, 550, 'Emergency landing after takeoff'), (576, 600, 'Emergency descent/landing'), (580, 450, 'Maneuvering'), (581, 450, 'Maneuvering - aerial application'), (582, 450, 'Maneuvering - turn to reverse direction'), (583, 450, 'Maneuvering - turn to landing area (emergency)'), (590, 450, 'Hover'), (591, 450, 'Hover - in ground effect'), (592, 450, 'Hover - out of ground effect'), (600, 800, 'Other'), (610, 990, 'Unknown')),
  current_codes AS (
    SELECT e.case_mkey, TRY_CAST(e."tier1Number" AS INTEGER) AS code,
      row_number() OVER (PARTITION BY e.case_mkey ORDER BY coalesce(e."isDefiningEvent", false) DESC, e.position) AS n
    FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e
    WHERE e.aircrafts_position = 1 AND e."tier1Number" GLOB '[1-9][0-9]*'
      AND (e."isDefiningEvent" OR e.case_mkey IN (SELECT "mKey" FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' WHERE "isPre1982"))
  ),
  phases AS (
    SELECT case_mkey, 'current' AS scheme, code, CASE WHEN code >= 990 THEN 990 ELSE code // 50 * 50 END AS main
    FROM current_codes WHERE n = 1
    UNION ALL
    SELECT o.case_mkey, 'older', o."phaseOfFlightCode", w.main
    FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o JOIN crosswalk w ON w.code = o."phaseOfFlightCode"
    WHERE o.aircrafts_position = 1 AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o.case_mkey NOT IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM current_codes)
  ),
  case_phases AS (
    SELECT p.*, c."eventDate", c."highestInjuryLevel" = 'Fatal' AS fatal, a.aircraft_model_code
    FROM phases p JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c ON c."mKey" = p.case_mkey
    LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = p.case_mkey AND a.position = 1
    WHERE c."eventDate" >= DATE '1962-01-01' AND p.main IN (SELECT main FROM phase_names)
  )
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."eventStateOrRegion" = 'UT' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM case_phases WHERE main = 600)
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600/cases?state=UT

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