Skip to content

Fatal NTSB investigations

180,658 investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board since 1962: 174,636 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.

Defining event

Finding

Phase of flight

Aircraft model

Cases, newest first

Query with SQL

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' ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC

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'
  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'
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 FTW80FA094Accident · 5 fatalClosedSikorsky S-58T · Morgan City, LAJul 18, 1980 · N69CH · Destroyed NTSB FTW80FA093Accident · 1 fatalClosedBell 205A-1 · Arcola, TXJul 18, 1980 · N6207N · Destroyed NTSB SEA80FA037Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 170A · Clinton, WAJul 17, 1980 · N1713D · 2 aircraft · Destroyed NTSB CHI80DA057Accident · 2 fatalClosedStinson 108-3 · Grattan, MIJul 17, 1980 · N4110C · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA122Accident · 1 fatalClosedLaister LP-15 · Tucson, AZJul 16, 1980 · N8EM · Substantial damage NTSB FTW80FPM14Accident · 1 fatalClosedBell 47G · Calvin, OKJul 16, 1980 · N16657 · Destroyed NTSB FTW80FA091Accident · 1 fatalClosedSchleicher ASW-20 · Hobbs, NMJul 15, 1980 · N56MW · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA074Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-28R · Reliance, TNJul 14, 1980 · N32036 · Destroyed NTSB NYC80FA055Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna A150M · Davis Park, NYJul 13, 1980 · N8183V · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FA054Accident · 1 fatalClosedGrumman J2F-6 · Toledo, OHJul 12, 1980 · N3960C · Substantial damage NTSB ANC80FA067Accident · 8 fatalClosedCessna 402B · Golovin, AKJul 12, 1980 · N90238 · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA120Accident · 4 fatalClosedCessna U206C · Ely, NVJul 11, 1980 · N29089 · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FA053Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 150 · Wadsworth, OHJul 11, 1980 · N3124X · Destroyed NTSB ANC80FA066Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · False Pass, AKJul 11, 1980 · N5537Y · Substantial damage NTSB CHI80FA052Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna P210 · Marcellus, MIJul 10, 1980 · N616LP · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA072Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-31P · Charleston, SCJul 10, 1980 · N776SW · Destroyed NTSB NYC80FA053Accident · 1 fatalClosedBeech C35 · Spring Valley, NYJul 9, 1980 · N16W · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA119Accident · 4 fatalClosedCessna T210N · Pacoima, CAJul 9, 1980 · N6384C · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA118Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-24 · S.Lake Tahoe, CAJul 9, 1980 · N8679P · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FA051Accident · 1 fatalClosedGrum Amer AA-1A · Troy, MIJul 8, 1980 · N7278L · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA070Accident · 1 fatalClosedAero Comdr 680V · Jackson, MSJul 7, 1980 · N2755H · Destroyed NTSB SEA80FYA19Accident · 1 fatalClosedCallair A-9 · Homedale, IDJul 6, 1980 · N8270H · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA117Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna TU206G · Carlsbad, CAJul 6, 1980 · N5384U · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FEG18Accident · 2 fatalClosedRand KR-2 · Lebanon, OHJul 6, 1980 · N78RS · Destroyed NTSB MIA80FA081Accident · 2 fatalClosedDehavilland DH-82A · Bunnell, FLJul 5, 1980 · N7314 · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA116Accident · 4 fatalClosedGrum-Amer AA-5 · San Diego, CAJul 5, 1980 · N9553L · Destroyed NTSB NYC80FA050Accident · 5 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Ocean City, NJJul 4, 1980 · N6396J · Destroyed NTSB LAX80FA115Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 172M · Tombstone, AZJul 4, 1980 · N73290 · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FER55Accident · 1 fatalClosedCassutt 111M · Warren, MNJul 4, 1980 · N10TD · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FA050Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-11S · Orleans, MIJul 4, 1980 · N5065H · Substantial damage NTSB ATL80FA066Accident · 2 fatalClosedBeech C18S · Wassaw Is, GAJul 4, 1980 · N35MS · Destroyed NTSB NYC80FA051Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Clearfield, PAJul 3, 1980 · N8903J · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA065Accident · 5 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · Rockford, TNJul 3, 1980 · N6087Y · Destroyed NTSB NYC80FA049Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 210H · Lyndonville, VTJul 2, 1980 · N2229R · Destroyed NTSB MIA80FA078Accident · 4 fatalClosedCessna 152 · Ft Lauderdale, FLJul 2, 1980 · N69244 · 2 aircraft · Destroyed NTSB FTW80FA089Accident · 1 fatalClosedFairchild M-62C · Plano, TXJul 2, 1980 · N2300M · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA068Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Star Tannery, VAJul 2, 1980 · N5908V · Destroyed NTSB SEA80FYE39Accident · 1 fatalClosedVarieze 1 · Arlington, WAJul 1, 1980 · N752EZ · Destroyed NTSB MIA80FA077Accident · 4 fatalClosedBeech 65 · Ft.Pierce, FLJun 29, 1980 · N156F · Destroyed NTSB DEN80FA046Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172M · Ft Collins, COJun 29, 1980 · N12362 · Substantial damage NTSB MIA80FA076Accident · 1 fatalClosedAeronca 7AC · Miami, FLJun 28, 1980 · N83173 · Destroyed NTSB MIA80DA079Accident · 2 fatalClosedErco 415-D · Missing AircraftJun 28, 1980 · N3808H · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA063Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper J-3 · Williamson, GAJun 28, 1980 · N42914 · Destroyed NTSB MIA80FA074Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Orlando, FLJun 27, 1980 · N725J · Destroyed NTSB SEA80FA036Accident · 4 fatalClosedPiper PA32RT · Granite, ORJun 26, 1980 · N39691 · Destroyed NTSB MKC80FA042Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172M · Cardwell, MOJun 26, 1980 · N20495 · Destroyed NTSB FTW80FA088Accident · 2 fatalClosedRockwell 112TCA · Aspermont, TXJun 26, 1980 · N4684W · Destroyed NTSB ATL80FA061Accident · 2 fatalClosedBellanca 7GCBC · Worton, MDJun 25, 1980 · N2636Z · Destroyed NTSB ANC80FA056Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-18 · Anchorage, AKJun 24, 1980 · N14310 · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FEM29Accident · 1 fatalClosedScorpion II · Hastings, MIJun 23, 1980 · N88922 · Substantial damage