Fatal, Major NTSB investigations
180,630 investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board since 1962: 174,609 accidents, the rest incidents and other occurrences. Each has NTSB’s narrative and, once the investigation is done, its probable cause; since 2008, its findings and sequence of events.
Cases per year
| 1968 | 4 |
|---|---|
| 1969 | 10 |
| 1970 | 7 |
| 1971 | 7 |
| 1972 | 6 |
| 1973 | 7 |
| 1974 | 6 |
| 1975 | 5 |
| 1976 | 6 |
| 1977 | 6 |
| 1978 | 8 |
| 1979 | 7 |
| 1980 | 7 |
| 1981 | 8 |
| 1982 | 7 |
| 1983 | 14 |
| 1984 | 20 |
| 1985 | 25 |
| 1986 | 32 |
| 1987 | 24 |
| 1988 | 11 |
| 1989 | 18 |
| 1990 | 11 |
| 1991 | 11 |
| 1992 | 10 |
| 1993 | 9 |
| 1994 | 12 |
| 1995 | 4 |
| 1996 | 8 |
| 1997 | 7 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 8 |
| 2000 | 11 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 8 |
| 2004 | 12 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 9 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 13 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 | 2 |
Where
Open the mapLatest cases
Query with SQL
duckdb -csv -c "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.\"highestInjuryLevel\" = 'Fatal'
AND (c.board_report_url IS NOT NULL OR c.\"investigationClass\" = 'Class 1' OR c.\"caseType\" = 'Major - Launch')
ORDER BY c.\"eventDate\" DESC, c.\"ntsbNumber\" DESC"Prints the whole list as CSV. It reads the release’s Parquet files over HTTPS, so there’s nothing to download first. Install DuckDB to run it.
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."highestInjuryLevel" = 'Fatal' AND (c.board_report_url IS NOT NULL OR c."investigationClass" = 'Class 1' OR c."caseType" = 'Major - Launch') ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
Run it at the DuckDB prompt, or in any tool that reads Parquet over HTTPS. More ways to query the release are on Use the data.
NTSB DCA26MA352Accident · 5 fatalClass 1 · MajorPreliminary reportBoeing 767 · Miami, FLOn September 6, 2026, about 1353 eastern daylight time (EDT), 21 Air flight 7598, a Boeing 767-33A, N1997A, overran runway 30 after landing at Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami, Florida and subsequently impacted two ground passenger vehicles. The two…NTSB DCA26MA161Accident · 2 fatalClass 1 · MajorPreliminary reportMitsubishi CL-600 · New York, NYOn March 22, 2026, at 2337 eastern daylight time, Jazz Aviation LP flight 646 (doing business as Air Canada flight 8646), an MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) RJ Aviation (formerly Bombardier) CL-600-2D24 (CRJ-900) airplane, registration C-GNJZ, was…NTSB WPR26MA063Accident · 7 fatalClass 2 · MajorPreliminary reportCessna 550 · Statesville, NCOn December 18, 2025, at 1015 eastern standard time, a Cessna Citation 550, N257BW, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Statesville, North Carolina. The pilot and 6 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14…NTSB DCA26MA024Accident · 14 fatalClass 1 · MajorPreliminary reportMcdonnell Douglas MD-11F · Louisville, KYOn November 4, 2025, about 1714 eastern standard time (EST), United Parcel Service (UPS) flight 2976, a Boeing (McDonnell-Douglas) MD-11F airplane, N259UP, was destroyed after it impacted the ground shortly after takeoff from runway 17R at Louisville Muhammad…NTSB WPR25MA128Accident · 6 fatalClass 3 · MajorPreliminary reportMitsubishi MU-2B-40 · Copake, NYOn April 12, 2025, about 1203 eastern daylight time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40, N635TA, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Copake, New York. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…NTSB ERA25MA171Accident · 6 fatalClass 2 · MajorPreliminary reportBell 206L-4 · Jersey City, NJOn April 10, 2025, about 1515 eastern daylight time, a Bell 206L-4 helicopter, N216MH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Jersey City, New Jersey. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title…NTSB CEN25MA115Accident · 3 fatalClass 2 · MajorPreliminary reportEurocopter Deutschland EC 135 P2+ · Canton, MSOn March 10, 2025, about 1237 central daylight time, an Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter Deutschland) EC135 P2+ helicopter, N835CS, operated as AirCare 3, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Canton, Mississippi. The commercial pilot,…NTSB WPR25FA088Accident · 1 fatalClass 2 · FieldPreliminary reportGates Learjet 35A · Scottsdale, AZOn February 10, 2025, about 1438 mountain standard time, a Gates Learjet 35A, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona. The captain was fatally injured, the first officer (FO) and one passenger were seriously…NTSB ANC25MA018Accident · 10 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportTextron 208B · Nome, AKThe National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot’s inadequate airspeed management due to workload and degraded situation awareness and his improper inputs leading up to and during the aerodynamic…NTSB ERA25MA106Accident · 7 fatalClass 2 · MajorPreliminary reportLearjet 55 · Philadelphia, PAOn January 31, 2025, at 1807 eastern standard time, a Learjet 55 airplane, Mexican registration XA-UCI (call sign MTS056) was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two pilots, two medical crewmembers, and two…NTSB DCA25MA108Accident · 67 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBombardier CL-600-2C10 · Washington, DCThe Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) placement of a helicopter route in close proximity to a runway approach path; their failure to regularly review and evaluate helicopter routes and available data, and their failure to act on recommendations to…NTSB CEN24MA111Accident · 6 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportAirbus Helicopters EC 130 · Halloran Springs, CAThe pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the company’s inadequate oversight of its…NTSB WPR23MA113Accident · 5 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportPilatus PC-12/45 · Stagecoach, NVThe pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation while operating in night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the disengagement of the autopilot for undetermined reasons, as…NTSB CEN23MA034Accident · 6 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing B17 · Dallas, TXthe air boss’s and air show event organizer’s lack of an adequate, prebriefed aircraft separation plan for the air show performance, relying instead on the air boss’s real-time deconfliction directives and the see-and-avoid strategy for collision avoidance,…NTSB DCA22MA193Accident · 10 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportDehavilland DHC-3 · Freeland, WAThe in-flight unthreading of the clamp nut from the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator barrel due to a missing lock ring, which resulted in the horizontal stabilizer moving to an extreme trailing-edge-down position rendering the airplane’s pitch…NTSB ERA22FA279Accident · 6 fatalClass 1 · FieldFinal reportBell UH-1B · Amherstdale, WVthe operator’s failure to adequately inspect the former military turbine powered helicopter, which allowed an engine issue to progress and result in a loss of engine power and a subsequent loss of control after the helicopter struck powerlines during a forced…NTSB DCA20MA059Accident · 9 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportSikorsky S76 · Calabasas, CAThe pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s likely self-induced pressure…NTSB CEN20MA044Accident · 5 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportPiper PA 31T · Lafayette, LAThe pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during the initial climb in instrument meteorological conditions.NTSB ANC20MA010Accident · 7 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportAirbus AS350B2 · Kekaha, HIThe pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in the collision into terrain. Contributing to the accident was Safari Aviation Inc.’s lack of safety management processes…NTSB DCA20MA002Accident · 1 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportSaab 2000 · Unalaska, AKThe landing gear manufacturer’s incorrect wiring of the wheel speed transducer harnesses on the left main landing gear during overhaul. The incorrect wiring caused the antiskid system not to function as intended, resulting in the failure of the left outboard…NTSB ERA20MA001Accident · 7 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportBoeing B17 · Windsor Locks, CTThe pilot’s failure to properly manage the airplane’s configuration and airspeed after he shut down the No. 4 engine following its partial loss of power during the initial climb. Contributing to the accident was the pilot/maintenance director’s inadequate…NTSB CEN19MA312Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · MajorFinal reportConvair 440 · Monclova, OHThe flight crew’s failure to maintain the proper airspeed on final approach, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and impact with trees, and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s fatigue due to the overnight flight schedule.NTSB CEN19MA190Accident · 10 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportTextron B-300 · Addison, TXThe pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control following a reduction of thrust in the left engine during takeoff. The reason for the reduction in thrust could not be determined. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to conduct the airplane…NTSB WPR19MA177Accident · 11 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportBeech 65-A90 · Mokuleia, HIThe pilot’s aggressive takeoff maneuver, which resulted in an accelerated stall and subsequent loss of control at an altitude that was too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident were (1) the operation of the airplane near its aft center of gravity…NTSB CEN19MA141Accident · 6 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportDe Havilland DHC-2 · Ketchikan, AKThe inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, which prevented the two pilots from seeing the other airplane before the collision, and the absence of visual and aural alerts from both airplanes’ traffic display systems, while operating in a geographic…NTSB DCA19MA086Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 767 · Trinity Bay, TXThe inappropriate response by the first officer as the pilot flying to an inadvertent activation of the go-around mode, which led to his spatial disorientation and nose-down control inputs that placed the airplane in a steep descent from which the crew did…NTSB CEN19FA072Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · FieldFinal reportBell 407 · Zaleski, OHThe NTSB determines that the probable cause of this accident was Survival Flight's inadequate management of safety, which normalized pilots' and operations control specialists' noncompliance with risk analysis procedures and resulted in the initiation of the…NTSB DCA18MA142Accident · 1 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 737 7H4 · Philadelphia, PAA low-cycle fatigue crack in the dovetail of fan blade No. 13, which resulted in the fan blade separating in flight and impacting the engine fan case at a location that was critical to the structural integrity and performance of the fan cowl structure. This…NTSB ERA18MA099Accident · 5 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportAmerican Eurocopter AS350B2 · New York, NYLiberty Helicopters Inc.'s use of a NYONair-provided passenger harness/tether system, which caught on and activated the floor-mounted engine fuel shutoff lever and resulted in the in-flight loss of engine power and the subsequent ditching. Contributing to…NTSB WPR18MA087Accident · 5 fatalClass 3 · MajorFinal reportEurocopter EC130 · Peach Springs, AZA loss of tail rotor effectiveness, the pilot’s subsequent loss of helicopter control, and collision with terrain during an approach to land in gusting, tailwind conditions in an area of potential downdrafts and turbulence.NTSB ERA17MA316Accident · 4 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportEurocopter Deutschland MBB BK 117 · Hertford, NCA failure of the rear bearing in the No. 2 engine, which (1) created multiple and likely unexpected and confusing cockpit indications, resulting in the pilot's improper diagnosis and subsequent erroneous shutdown of the No. 1 engine, and (2) the resulting…NTSB CEN17MA183Accident · 2 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportLearjet 35A · Teterboro, NJThe pilot-in-command's (PIC) attempt to salvage an unstabilized visual approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the PIC's decision to allow an unapproved second-in-command to act as pilot flying, the…NTSB ANC17MA001Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportCessna 208B · Togiak, AKThe flight crew's decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into deteriorating visibility and their failure to perform an immediate escape maneuver after entry into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into…NTSB DCA16MA204Accident · 16 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportKubicek BB85 · Lockhart, TXThe pilot's pattern of poor decision-making that led to the initial launch, continued flight in fog and above clouds, and descent near or through clouds that decreased the pilot's ability to see and avoid obstacles. Contributing to the accident were (1) the…NTSB CEN16MA036Accident · 9 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBritish Aerospace HS 125 700A · Akron, OHThe flight crew's mismanagement of the approach and multiple deviations from company standard operating procedures, which placed the airplane in an unsafe situation and led to an unstabilized approach, a descent below minimum descent altitude without visual…NTSB WPR15MA243Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 172M · San Diego, CAThe local controller's (LC) failure to properly identify the aircraft in the pattern and to ensure control instructions provided to the intended Cessna on downwind were being performed before turning Eagle1 into its path for landing. Contributing to the LC's…NTSB ERA15MA259Accident · 2 fatalClass 2 · MajorFinal reportCessna 150M · Moncks Corner, SCThe approach controller's failure to provide an appropriate resolution to the conflict between the F-16 and the Cessna. Contributing to the accident were the inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept, resulting in both pilots' inability to take…NTSB CEN15MA290Accident · 1 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportAirbus Helicopters AS350B3E · Frisco, COAirbus Helicopters' dual-hydraulic AS350 B3e helicopter's (1) preflight hydraulic check, which depleted hydraulic pressure in the tail rotor hydraulic circuit, and (2) lack of salient alerting to the pilot that hydraulic pressure was not restored before…NTSB ANC15MA041Accident · 9 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportDehavilland DHC-3 · Ketchikan, AK(1) the pilot's decision to continue visual flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his geographic disorientation and controlled flight into terrain; and (2) Promech's company culture, which tacitly endorsed flying in…NTSB DCA15MA029Accident · 6 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportEmbraer EMB-500 · Gaithersburg, MDthe pilot's conduct of an approach in structural icing conditions without turning on the airplane's wing and horizontal stabilizer deice system, leading to ice accumulation on those surfaces, and without using the appropriate landing performance speeds for…NTSB DCA15MA019Accident · 1 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportScaled Composites 339 · Koehn Dry Lake, CAScaled Composites' failure to consider and protect against the possibility that a single human error could result in a catastrophic hazard to the SpaceShipTwo vehicle. This failure set the stage for the copilot's premature unlocking of the feather system as a…NTSB ERA14MA271Accident · 7 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportGulfstream Aerospace G IV · Bedford, MAThe flight crewmembers' failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff, their attempt to take off with the gust lock system engaged, and their delayed execution of a rejected takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked.…NTSB ERA14MA060Accident · 2 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportFairchild SA227-AC · La Alianza, PRThe flight crew's excessive elevator input during a rapid descent under night lighting conditions, which resulted in the overstress and breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was an initial loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be…NTSB ANC14MA008Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 208B · Saint Marys, AKThe pilot's decision to initiate a visual flight rules approach into an area of instrument meteorological conditions at night and the flight coordinators' release of the flight without discussing the risks with the pilot, which resulted in the pilot…NTSB DCA13MA133Accident · 2 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportAirbus A300 - F4 622R · Birmingham, ALthe flight crew's continuation of an unstabilized approach and their failure to monitor the aircraft's altitude during the approach, which led to an inadvertent descent below the minimum approach altitude and subsequently into terrain. Contributing to the…NTSB DCA13MA121Accident · 10 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportDehavilland DHC-3 · Soldotna, AKThe operator's failure to determine the actual cargo weight, leading to the loading and operation of the airplane outside of the weight and center of gravity limits contained in the airplane flight manual, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing…NTSB DCA13MA120Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 777-200ER · San Francisco, CAThe flight crew's mismanagement of the airplane's descent during the visual approach, the pilot flying's unintended deactivation of automatic airspeed control, the flight crew's inadequate monitoring of airspeed, and the flight crew's delayed execution of a…NTSB DCA13MA081Accident · 7 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 747-400 BCF · Bagram, AfghanistanNational Airlines' inadequate procedures for restraining special cargo loads, which resulted in the loadmaster's improper restraint of the cargo, which moved aft and damaged hydraulic systems Nos. 1 and 2 and horizontal stabilizer drive mechanism components,…NTSB ANC13GA036Accident · 3 fatalClass 1Final reportEurocopter AS350 · Talkeetna, AKThe pilot's decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and loss of control. Also causal was the Alaska Department of Public Safety's punitive culture and…NTSB ERA13MA139Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech 390 · Thomson, GAThe pilot's failure to follow airplane flight manual procedures for an antiskid failure in flight and his failure to immediately retract the lift dump after he elected to attempt a go-around on the runway. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of…