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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 IAD80FA001Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · Mooresville, NCOct 2, 1979 · N12JW · Destroyed NTSB UNK80X0100Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 152 · Gainesville, TXOct 1, 1979 · N4739B · Destroyed NTSB CHI80FA001Accident · 1 fatalClosedBellanca 17-31 · North Manchest, INOct 1, 1979 · N170EE · Destroyed NTSB CHI80DA003Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 152 · Syracuse, INOct 1, 1979 · N89179 · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA061Accident · 2 fatalClosedBellanca 7KCAB · Athol, IDSep 30, 1979 · N8884 · Destroyed NTSB NYC8OFA001Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · Ashford, CTSep 30, 1979 · N1267P · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA132Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 404 · Ft.Lauderdale, FLSep 30, 1979 · N88696 · Substantial damage NTSB MIA79FA131Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Orlando, FLSep 30, 1979 · N6116H · Destroyed NTSB LAX79IA092Incident · 1 fatalClosedBoeing 747 · Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)Sep 30, 1979 · N750PA · No damage NTSB IAD79FA093Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 170 · Horsebranch, KYSep 30, 1979 · N3423C · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FEV35Accident · 1 fatalClosedBellanca 8KCAB · Alma, ILSep 30, 1979 · N499AC · Substantial damage NTSB CHI79FEP79Accident · 1 fatalClosedFly-Baby 1-A · Watertown, WISep 30, 1979 · N6518 · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA130Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 120 · Vicksburg, MSSep 29, 1979 · N72504 · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA092Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · Greensboro, NCSep 29, 1979 · N6378Y · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FEE86Accident · 1 fatalClosedVolksplane VP-1 · Plainfield, ILSep 29, 1979 · N655 · Substantial damage NTSB CHI79FA083Accident · 4 fatalClosedGrum Amer AA-5A · Urbana, OHSep 28, 1979 · N26755 · Destroyed NTSB CHI79AA082Accident · 5 fatalClosedPiper PA-32R · Indianapolis, INSep 28, 1979 · N8425C · Destroyed NTSB FTW79FA111Accident · 3 fatalClosedBeech C35 · Ranger, TXSep 27, 1979 · N311R · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA089Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-38 · Chesterfield, VASep 26, 1979 · N4433E · Destroyed NTSB FTW79DA110Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 150 · Houston, TXSep 25, 1979 · N10932 · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA105Accident · 3 fatalClosedBeech 35C33A · Warren, VTSep 24, 1979 · N1984S · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA097Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 2 207 · Rainy Pass, AKSep 24, 1979 · N6405H · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA096Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-18 · Skwentna, AKSep 24, 1979 · N4032Z · Substantial damage NTSB MIA79FA127Accident · 3 fatalClosedBeech D18S · Miramar, FLSep 23, 1979 · N516PA · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA081Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 150 · Porcupine, WISep 23, 1979 · N7853E · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FEC57Accident · 2 fatalClosedBreezy RLU-1 · Frazer, MISep 22, 1979 · N9369 · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA087Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 175 · Hollister, CASep 21, 1979 · N9466B · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA060Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 150 · Sula, MTSep 20, 1979 · CG-CMZ · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA104Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172D · Greenwich, CTSep 20, 1979 · N2331U · Destroyed NTSB MKC79FA057Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 150F · West Quincy, MOSep 20, 1979 · N8240S · Substantial damage NTSB MIA79FA126Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Hartsville, SCSep 20, 1979 · N5137S · Destroyed NTSB FTW79FA108Accident · 4 fatalClosedPiper PA-31 · Luling, LASep 20, 1979 · N27614 · Destroyed NTSB DEN79FA065Accident · 1 fatalClosedBell 47G · Deming, NMSep 20, 1979 · N2220W · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA103Accident · 1 fatalClosedBeech E18S · Suffield, CTSep 19, 1979 · N705M · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA125Accident · 1 fatalClosedHughes 369HS · Jacksonville, FLSep 19, 1979 · N8623F · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA078Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 172G · Brownstown, ILSep 18, 1979 · N3623L · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA084Accident · 1 fatalClosedGrumman G-21A · Avalon, CASep 17, 1979 · N22932 · Substantial damage NTSB NYC79FA101Accident · 2 fatalClosedBeech 19 · Manchester, NHSep 16, 1979 · N24601 · Destroyed NTSB MKC79FA055Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 172XP · Intl Falls, MNSep 16, 1979 · N736QH · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA123Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 182P · Folkston, GASep 16, 1979 · N9197M · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA122Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Alma, GASep 16, 1979 · N15029 · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA082Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-23 · Linville, NCSep 16, 1979 · N9046J · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA076Accident · 4 fatalClosedBeech C-45H · Hastings, MISep 15, 1979 · N600NA · Destroyed NTSB SEA79AA058Accident · 12 fatalClosedDouglas DC-7C · Klamath Falls, ORSep 14, 1979 · N4SW · Destroyed NTSB LAX79IA082Incident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 210 · Tucson, AZSep 14, 1979 · N6125F · No damage NTSB LAX79FXQ36Accident · 1 fatalClosedSchultz SL-1 · Reno, NVSep 14, 1979 · N9SL · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA081Accident · 5 fatalClosedBell 47J-2 · Long Beach, CASep 14, 1979 · N930NR · Destroyed NTSB DEN79FA061Accident · 2 fatalClosedBeech A-36 · Garfield, COSep 14, 1979 · N2847W · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA092Accident · 1 fatalClosedBellanca 7GC · Cooper Landing, AKSep 14, 1979 · N7676E · Substantial damage NTSB NYC79FA079Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 150 · Pennington, NJSep 13, 1979 · N8481J · Destroyed