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 MKC79FA054Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Mountain View, MOSep 13, 1979 · N5518V · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA080Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Cashiers, NCSep 12, 1979 · N41413 · Destroyed NTSB CHI79DA075Accident · 1 fatalClosedEnstrom F-28A · Kings Mills, OHSep 12, 1979 · N244Q · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA095Accident · 1 fatalClosedBeech N35 · Olean, NYSep 11, 1979 · N9406Y · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA079Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-38 · Ramona, CASep 10, 1979 · N2440D · 2 aircraft · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA081Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172 · Elkins, WVSep 10, 1979 · N80979 · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA092Accident · 1 fatalClosedBellanca 17-30A · Hanover, PASep 9, 1979 · N102CB · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA091Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Charlestown, NHSep 9, 1979 · N159TA · Destroyed NTSB MIA79DA124Accident · 3 fatalClosedCessna 182 · Missing AircraftSep 9, 1979 · N2183R · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA076Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172 · Lancaster, CASep 9, 1979 · N5747A · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FKG33Accident · 1 fatalClosedRockwell S2R · Belzoni, MSSep 8, 1979 · N5044X · Substantial damage NTSB IAD79FA076Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-18 · Warrenton, VASep 8, 1979 · N8228P · Substantial damage NTSB FTW79FA107Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 172N · Lafayette, LASep 8, 1979 · N1944F · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA088Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-18 · Gulkana, AKSep 7, 1979 · N82706 · Substantial damage NTSB MKC79FA052Accident · 1 fatalClosedMong Sport MS-2 · Sidney, NESep 6, 1979 · N563A · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FEI41Accident · 1 fatalClosedOsprey 2 · Medina, OHSep 6, 1979 · N96JR · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FNE20Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-25 · Lee, MASep 5, 1979 · N6505Z · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA090Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · No.Whitehall, PASep 5, 1979 · N6275W · Destroyed NTSB MKC79FA051Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 210L · Garden City, KSSep 5, 1979 · N59200 · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA073Accident · 4 fatalClosedCessna 172N · Pinnacle, NCSep 4, 1979 · N738FR · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FAH05Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-22 · Palmer, AKSep 4, 1979 · N8666D · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA088Accident · 1 fatalClosedAeronca 7AC · Edinboro, PASep 3, 1979 · N83122 · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FVG77Accident · 2 fatalClosedDouglas VJ22 · Courtland, CASep 3, 1979 · N96315 · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA074Accident · 1 fatalClosedGrum-Amer AA1-A · Columbia, CASep 3, 1979 · N9293L · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FKG69Accident · 2 fatalClosedCavalier SA-102 · Cumming, GASep 2, 1979 · N2892 · Destroyed NTSB IAD79FA077Accident · 1 fatalClosedMooney M-20F · Troutdale, VASep 2, 1979 · N7747M · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FEP76Accident · 2 fatalClosedTom Story WD-6 · Janesville, WISep 2, 1979 · N274WD · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA072Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-24 · Bloomfield Twp, WISep 2, 1979 · N6051P · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage NTSB CHI79FA071Accident · 3 fatalClosedPiper PA-28R · Grayling, MISep 2, 1979 · N4392T · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA054Accident · 3 fatalClosedMooney M20C · Newberg, ORSep 1, 1979 · N9753M · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA053Accident · 4 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Paisley, ORSep 1, 1979 · N2818N · Destroyed NTSB FTW79DA104Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna T210P · Intercoastal, LASep 1, 1979 · N6531P · Destroyed NTSB DEN79FA059Accident · 2 fatalClosedAero Comdr 114 · Green River, UTSep 1, 1979 · N4930W · Substantial damage NTSB NYC80FA085Accident · 1 fatalClosedBeech 58 · Middletown, PAAug 30, 1979 · N868AF · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA079Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 310 · Blue Ridge, INAug 29, 1979 · N69618 · Destroyed NTSB CHI79DA068Accident · 1 fatalClosedCessna 177B · Bloomington, INAug 28, 1979 · N34457 · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA052Accident · 5 fatalClosedPiper PA-32 · Maple Falls, WAAug 27, 1979 · CG-IMB · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA118Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-24 · Melbourne, FLAug 27, 1979 · N5762P · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FA070Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 152 · San Marcos, CAAug 26, 1979 · N48740 · Destroyed NTSB SEA79FA050Accident · 4 fatalClosedBeech B23 · Neihart, MTAug 24, 1979 · N7635R · Destroyed NTSB MIA79FA115Accident · 2 fatalClosedCessna 336 · San Juan, PRAug 24, 1979 · N1709Z · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FVG71Accident · 1 fatalClosedStearman A75N1 · Fair Oaks, CAAug 24, 1979 · N48784 · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FUK10Accident · 1 fatalClosedHiller UH-12E · Somerton, AZAug 24, 1979 · N62902 · Destroyed NTSB CHI79FA067Accident · 2 fatalClosedBeech 95-B55 · Kinross, MIAug 24, 1979 · N4422W · Destroyed NTSB NYC79FA082Accident · 3 fatalClosedAero Comdr 680FL · Rexville, NYAug 23, 1979 · N5003E · Destroyed NTSB CHI79DA066Accident · 1 fatalClosedPiper PA-31 · Bluffton, OHAug 23, 1979 · N27715 · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA085Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-11 · Dillingham, AKAug 23, 1979 · N4520M · Destroyed NTSB ANC79FA083Accident · 2 fatalClosedPiper PA-14 · Anchorage, AKAug 23, 1979 · N4252H · Destroyed NTSB LAX79FUG52Accident · 2 fatalClosedRand KR-2 · Thermal, CAAug 22, 1979 · N8029Y · Destroyed NTSB DEN99FA057Accident · 4 fatalClosedPiper PA-28 · Fairview, UTAug 22, 1979 · N6445J · Substantial damage