# NTSB investigations, 2023: 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 GAA24WA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA24WA060.md): Robinson R44 · Arthur's Pass, New Zealand · Accident · No injuries · Class 5 · Foreign · Dec 19, 2023 · ZK-HGX · Substantial damage
- [NTSB ERA24LA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA045.md): Bell 407 · Chesterfield, VA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Nov 16, 2023 · N26VA · Substantial damage
  > A hard landing, which resulted in a main rotor strike of the left vertical stablizer.
- [NTSB CEN24LA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA004.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Hochatown, OK · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Oct 1, 2023 · N379SH · Substantial damage
  > A total loss of engine power during a practice autorotation due to the improper engine idle setting and rigging of the carburetor heat control which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN23LA404](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA404.md): Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E · Arcola, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Sep 7, 2023 · N8372F · Substantial damage
  > The instructor’s failure to re-apply engine power during a power recovery after a practice autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN23LA389](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA389.md): Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 530FF · Liberty Hill, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 31, 2023 · N530JR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper recovery from a practice autorotation resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the instructor’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction.
- [NTSB WPR23LA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR23LA295.md): Fish Larry W Lancair 360 · Renton, WA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jul 31, 2023 · N68XA · Substantial damage
  > A loss of electrical power due to low battery voltage, which resulted in an inflight shut down of the capacitor discharge ignition system and a loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to switch batteries after the electrical…
- [NTSB ERA23LA269](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA269.md): Bell 206B · Orlando, FL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 5, 2023 · N27UK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper landing flare during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB CEN23LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA199.md): Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 · Abbeville, LA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 23, 2023 · N451PH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain proper helicopter control during autorotation that resulted in an abnormal ground contact which caused the subsequent main rotor strike on the tail boom that severed the tail rotor driveshaft. Contributing to the accident was…
- [NTSB ANC23LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23LA038.md): Aerospatiale AS350B2 · Honolulu, HI · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 22, 2023 · N745RH · Substantial damage
  > The instructor pilot’s inadequate supervision of the pilot receiving instruction, which resulted in a hard landing, and substantial damage to the tail boom.
- [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 GAA23WA140](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA23WA140.md): Cessna 206 · Chiribiquete National Park, Colombia · Accident · 7 fatal · Class 3 · Foreign · May 1, 2023 · HK2803 · Destroyed
- [NTSB CEN23FA164](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA164.md): Maule MXT-7-180 · La Porte, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 24, 2023 · N4008J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering for an emergency landing following a partial loss of engine power, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the…
- [NTSB ERA23LA146](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA146.md): Hughes 269A · Titusville, FL · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Mar 9, 2023 · N8911F · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate main rotor RPM during an autorotation which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent rotor blade strike of the tail boom.
- [NTSB GAA23WA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA23WA077.md): Hughes 269A · Budaors, Hungary · Accident · Class 5 · Foreign · Feb 23, 2023 · HA-HBQ · Substantial damage

## 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") = 2023
  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=2023

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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.