# NTSB investigations, 2016: 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 CEN17WA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17WA056.md): Robinson R22 · Cannes, France · Accident · No injuries · Foreign investigation · Dec 12, 2016 · F-HALD · Destroyed
  > On December 12, 2016, at 1300 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), a Robinson R-22 helicopter, French registration F-HALD, was destroyed following impact with terrain during a practice autorotation near Cannes-Mandelieu Airport (LFMD), France. The two occupants…
- [NTSB ERA17CA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17CA056.md): Bell OH 58A · Ponce, PR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 25, 2016 · N161PD · Substantial damage
  > The helicopter flight instructor's inadequate demonstration of a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB ERA16FA329](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA329.md): Cessna 172 · Laytonsville, MD · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 27, 2016 · N52126 · Destroyed
  > The pilot/mechanic's failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Also causal was the pilot/mechanic's failure to service the engine…
- [NTSB ERA16LA326](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA326.md): Hughes 269B · Ozark, AL · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 22, 2016 · N269BS · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined following a successful postaccident engine run on the accident helicopter.
- [NTSB CEN16WA345](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16WA345.md): Robinson R44 · Plasy, Czechia · Accident · No injuries · Foreign investigation · Aug 16, 2016 · OK-GES · Substantial damage
- [NTSB CEN16FA315](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16FA315.md): Hughes 269C · Howe, TX · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 10, 2016 · N9277R · Substantial damage
  > The improper execution of an autorotation following the loss of engine power, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's lack of remedial action during the autorotation.
- [NTSB WPR16LA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA156.md): Robinson R22 · Prescott, AZ · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 2, 2016 · N22UH · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action to address a low rotor rpm condition, which resulted in an excessive descent rate and a subsequent hard landing.
- [NTSB GAA16CA408](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA408.md): Bell Helicopter Textron 206 · Modesto, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 30, 2016 · N206LW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during an autorotation, which resulted in abnormal ground contact and main rotor contact with the tail boom. Contributing to the accident was the low fuel level which resulted in fuel starvation and a loss of…
- [NTSB GAA16CA377](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA377.md): Piper PA 44 · Keene, NH · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 7, 2016 · N190ND · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s failure to use carburetor heat during the approach while operating in atmospheric conditions that were conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
- [NTSB CEN16FA214](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN16FA214.md): Cirrus Design SR22 · Marion, IL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 10, 2016 · N508AJ · Destroyed
  > The pilots' failure to maintain adequate airspeed while executing a simulated engine failure and landing maneuver, which resulted in the wing's critical angle of attack being exceeded and a subsequent aerodynamic stall and loss of control.
- [NTSB GAA16CA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA258.md): Bell OH 58 · Waitsburg, WA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 21, 2016 · N543SD · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line during low reconnaissance flight, which resulted in a power line strike, loss of control, and a subsequent hard landing.
- [NTSB ERA16LA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA167.md): Bell 47D1 · Myerstown, PA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 20, 2016 · N202CH · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
- [NTSB ERA16FA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA150.md): Mooney M20K · Ocala, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 9, 2016 · N96398 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadvertent placement of the…
- [NTSB ERA16LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA151.md): Granger Michael D Sonex · Jesup, GA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 8, 2016 · N97GR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
- [NTSB GAA16CA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA168.md): Hughes 369 · Jamestown, ND · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 26, 2016 · N721RP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's excessive descent rate while flaring during a practice autorotation with a power recovery, which resulted in an impact with terrain.

## 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 year(c."eventDate") = 2016
  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?year=2016

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