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, newest first
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.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.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 CHI94MA290Accident · No injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportMcDonnell Douglas MD-11F · Chicago, ILThe first officer's improper flare and improper use of flight controls during the landing flare/touchdown.NTSB FTW94MA236Accident · Serious injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportAerospatiale AS350B · Kalaupapa, HIThe pilot's failure to properly monitor power required versus power available to maintain rotor revolutions per minute (RPM), resulting in rotor RPM decay and a forced landing. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's change of the tour route without…NTSB FTW94MA235Accident · 3 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportAerospatiale AS350D · Hanalei, HIFailure of the engine-driven fuel pump, which resulted in the loss of power, and the lack of aircraft flotation equipment. Factors related to the accident were: flight over water adjacent to terrain that afforded no suitable forced landing site, and the lack…NTSB DCA94MA065Accident · 37 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportDouglas DC-9-31 · Charlotte, NC1) The flightcrew's decision to continue an approach into severe convective activity that was conducive to a microburst; 2) the flightcrew's failure to recognize a windshear situation in a timely manner; 3)the flightcrew's failure to establish and maintain…NTSB DCA94MA061Accident · 12 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportLearjet 25D · Chantilly, VAThe poor decisionmaking, poor airmanship, and relative inexperience of the captain in initiating and continuing an unstabilized instrument approach that led to a descent below the authorized altitude without visual contact with the runway environment.…NTSB DCA94MA053Accident · 8 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportPiper PA31 · Stratford, CTThe failure of the captain to use the available ILS glideslope, his failure to execute a go-around when conditions were not suitable for landing, and his failure to land the airplane at a point sufficient to allow for a safe stopping distance; the fatalities…NTSB DCA94MA038Accident · Minor injuriesClass 1 · MajorFinal reportMcdonnell Douglas MD-82 · Flushing, NYThe failure of the flightcrew to comply with checklist procedures to turn on an operable pitot/static heat system, resulting in ice and/or snow blockage of the pitot tubes that produced erroneous airspeed indications, and the flightcrew's untimely response to…NTSB DCA94MA033Accident · Minor injuriesClass 1 · MajorFinal reportSaab-Scania 340B · New Roads, LAThe captain's movement of the power levers below flight idle in flight, the inadequate certification requirements and consequent design of the airplane's power levers that permitted them to be moved below the flight idle position into the beta range, either…NTSB CHI94MA072Accident · 2 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 421C · Mccook, NEImproper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, and the accumulation of airframe ice, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Factors associated with the accident were: partial failure of both alternators, which resulted in a subsequent electrical system…NTSB DCA94MA027Accident · 5 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportJetstream 4101 · Columbus, OH(1) An aerodynamic stall that occurred when the flightcrew allowed the airspeed to decay to stall speed following a very poorly planned and executed approach characterized by an absence of procedural discipline; (2) Improper pilot response to the stall…NTSB MIA94MA048Accident · 10 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech B90 · Okeechobee, FLThe pilot's improper remedial action concerning a right engine power anomaly, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during go-around from an aborted precautionary landing, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and an uncontrolled descent.…NTSB DCA94MA022Accident · 18 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportJetstream BA-3100 · Hibbing, MNThe captain's actions that led to a breakdown in crew coordination and the loss of altitude awareness by the flightcrew during an unstabilized approach in night instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were: the failure of the…NTSB CHI94MA032Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 421B · Greensburg, INan inadvertent stall by the pilot in command. Factors associated with the accident are the icing conditions and low ceilings.NTSB DCA94GA010Accident · 3 fatalClass 1Final reportBeech 300/F · Front Royal, VAthe failure of the pilot-in-command to ensure that the airplane remained in visual meteorological conditions over mountainous terrain, and the failure of the Federal Aviation Administration executives and managers responsible for the FAA flying program to:…NTSB DCA93RA060Accident · Serious injuriesClass 1 · ForeignDouglas DC-8-61 · Guantanamo Bay, CubaNTSB CHI93MA276Accident · 3 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCanadair CL-600-2B19 · Byers, KSThe captain's failure to adhere to the agreed upon flight test plan for ending the test maneuver at the onset of prestall stick shaker, and the flightcrew's failure to assure that all required switches were properly positioned for anti-spin chute deployment.…NTSB FTW93MA143Accident · Minor injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportEmbraer EMB-120 RT · Pine Bluff, ARThe captain's failure to maintain professional cockpit discipline, his consequent inattention to flight instruments and ice accretion, and his selection of an improper autoflight vertical mode, all of which led to an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and a…NTSB CHI93MA143Accident · 2 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech C99 · Shelton, NEThe deliberate disregard for the federal aviation regulations, gp express procedures, and prudent concern for safety by the two pilots in their decision to execute an aerobatic maneuver during a scheduled check ride flight, and the failure of gp express…NTSB DCA93GA042Accident · 8 fatalClass 1Final reportMitsubishi MU-2B-60 · Zwingle, IAThe fatigue cracking and fracture of the propeller hub arm. The resultant separation of the hub arm and the propeller blade damaged the engine, nacelle, wing, and fuselage, thereby causing significant degradation to aircraft performance and control that made…NTSB DCA93MA040Accident · Serious injuriesClass 1 · MajorFinal reportDouglas DC-10-30 · Dallas/Ft Worth, TXThe national transportation safety board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the captain to use proper directional control techniques to maintain the airplane on the runway.NTSB DCA93MA037Accident · 2 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportMcdonnell Douglas MD-11 · Shemya, AKThe national transportation safety board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the inadequate design of the flap/slat actuation handle by the Douglas aircraft company that allowed the handle to be easily and inadvertently dislodged from the…NTSB ATL93MA068Accident · 4 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportFairchild SA227-TT · Blountville, TNFailure of the pilot to follow procedures concerning use of the engine inlet anti-ice system and/or continuous ignition while operating in icing conditions, which resulted in probable ice ingestion and loss of engine power; and the pilot's failure to maintain…NTSB DCA93MA033Accident · No injuriesClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 747-121 · Anchorage, AKThe lateral separation of the no. 2 engine pylon due to an encounter with severe or possibly extreme turbulence that resulted in dynamic multi-axis lateral loadings that exceeded the ultimate lateral load-carrying capability of the pylon, which was already…NTSB ATL93MA055Accident · 7 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportLockheed L382E-44K-20 · Marietta, GADisengagement of the rudder fly-by-wire flight control system resulting in a total loss of rudder control capability while conducting ground minimum control speed tests. The disengagement was a result of the inadequate design of the rudder's integrated…NTSB CHI93MA061Accident · No injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportSaab-Scania 340A · Hibbing, MNThe first officer's failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the landing, and the captain's inadequate supervision by not taking timely action to ensure a safe landing. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the company's failure to provide…NTSB DCA92MA049Accident · 6 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportMitsubishi MU-2B-60 · Greenwood, INThe inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept of separation of aircraft operating under visual flight rules that precluded the pilots of the MU-2 and the PA-32 from recognizing a collision hazard and taking actions to avoid the midair collision.…NTSB DCA92MA048Accident · 12 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech C-45H · Hinckley, ILInadequate maintenance and inspection by the operator which resulted in an engine power loss during the critical takeoff phase of flight. In addition, the pilot did not, or was unable to, attain a full-feather position on the left engine propeller, which…NTSB DCA92MA044Accident · Serious injuriesClass 1 · MajorFinal reportLockheed L-1011-385-1 · Jamaica, NYDesign deficiencies in the stall warning system that permitted a defect to go undetected, the failure of twa's maintenance program to correct a repetitive malfunction of the stall warning system, and inadequate crew coordination between the captain and first…NTSB DCA92MA040Accident · 10 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 402C · Meadview, AZFailure of the pilot to follow the emergency procedure (engine failure after takeoff) and his failure to maintain minimum control speed (VMC), which resulted in a loss of aircraft control. Factors related to the accident were failure (disengagement) of the…NTSB ATL92MA118Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBeech C99 · Anniston, ALThe failure of senior management of gp express to provide adequate training and operational support for the startup of the southern operation, which resulted in the assignment of an inadequately prepared captain with a relatively inexperienced first officer…NTSB MIA92MA131Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCASA 212 · Mayaguez, PRThe failure of the beta blocking device for undetermined reason(s), and the second-pilot's inadvertent activation of the power lever, or levers, aft of the flight idle position and into the beta range, resulting in a loss of airplane control.NTSB LAX92MA184Accident · 9 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBeech E18S · Mount Haleakala, HIThe captain's decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions that obscured rising mountainous terrain and his failure to properly use available navigational information to remain clear of the island of maui. Contributing to the…NTSB LAX92MA183Accident · 16 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportde Havilland DHC-6-200 · Perris, CAThe pilot-in-command's inadvertent feathering of the wrong propeller following an engine power loss, and the failure of the operator to assure that the pilot was provided with adequate training in the airplane. Factors related to the accident were: water…NTSB DCA92MA025Accident · 27 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportFokker 28-4000 · Flushing, NYThe failure of the airline industry and the federal aviation administration to provide flightcrews with procedures, requirements, and criteria compatible with departure delays in conditions conducive to airframe icing and the decision by the flightcrew to…NTSB DCA92MA022Accident · 4 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportDouglas DC-8-63 · Swanton, OHThe failure of the flightcrew to properly recognize or recover in a timely manner from the unusual aircraft attitude that resulted from the captain's apparent spatial disorientation, resulting from physiological factors and/or a failed attitude director…NTSB DCA92MA016Accident · 2 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech 1900C · Gabriels, NYFailure of the captain to establish a stabilized approach, his inadequate cross-check of instruments, his descent below specified minimum altitude at the final approach fix, and failure of the copilot to monitor the approach. Factors related to the accident…NTSB NYC92FA053Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · FieldFinal reportBeech 1900C · Block Island, RIThe instructor pilot's loss of altitude awareness and possible spatial disorientation, which resulted in the loss of control of the airplane at an altitude too low for recovery; and company management's lack of involvement in and oversight of its Beechcraft…NTSB DCA92MA011Accident · 9 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech 400 · Rome, GAThe captain's decision to initiate visual flight into an area of known mountainous terrain and low ceilings and the failure of the flightcrew to maintain awareness of their proximity to the terrain.NTSB DCA91MA052Accident · 14 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportEmbraer 120 · Eagle Lake, TXThe failure of Continental express maintenance and inspection personnel to adhere to proper maintenance and quality assurance procedures for the airplane's horizontal stabilizer deice boots that led to the sudden in-flight loss of the partially secured left…NTSB CHI91MA260Accident · No injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportBritish Aerospace 3201 · St Louis, MOFailure of the pilot(s) to follow the correct emergency procedure. Factors related to this accident were: inadequate system design by the manufacturer, which allowed hydraulic line vibration, fatigue failure of the line, and loss of fluid from the normal…NTSB CHI91MA224Accident · 3 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportLearjet 23 · Detroit, MIImproper preflight by the pilot, his failure to abort the takeoff while there was sufficient runway remaining, and his failure to assure that the aircraft attained sufficient airspeed for lift-off and climb. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's…NTSB CHI91MA220Accident · No injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportAerospace ATR-42-300 · Peoria, ILInadequate aircraft equipment component (failed bolt), and insufficient inspection standards pertaining to the failed bolt. A factor related to the accident is inaccurate maintenance record keeping relating to oil consumption.NTSB DCA91MA042Accident · 13 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportBeech C99 · Birmingham, ALThe decision of the captain to initiate and continue an instrument approach into clearly identified thunderstorm activity, resulting in a loss of control of the airplane from which the flightcrew was unable to recover and subsequent collision with obstacles…NTSB DCA91MA033Accident · 23 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportEmbraer EMB-120RT · Brunswick, GAThe loss of control in flight as a result of a malfunction of the left engine propeller control unit which allowed the propeller blade angles to go below the flight idle position. Contributing to the accident was the deficient design of the propeller control…NTSB DCA91MA031Accident · 7 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBell 412SP · Merion, PAThe poor judgement by the captain of the airplane to permit the in-flight inspection after he had determined to the best of his ability that the nose landing gear was fully extended, the poor judgment of the captain of the helicopter to conduct the…NTSB MIA91MA100Accident · 4 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportPiper PA-46-310P · Bronson, FLThe pilot's failure to activate the pitot heat before ascending above the freezing level in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), followed by his improper response to erroneous airspeed indications that resulted from blockage of the pitot tube by…NTSB DCA91MA023Accident · 25 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 737-291 · Colorado Spgs, COA loss of control of the airplane resulting from the movement of the rudder surface to its blowdown limit. The rudder surface most likely deflected in a direction opposite to that commanded by the pilots as a result of a jam of the main rudder power control…NTSB DCA91MA021Accident · 2 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportMcdonnell Douglas DC-9-15 · Cleveland, OHThe failure of the flightcrew to detect and remove ice contamination on the airplane's wings, which was largely a result of a lack of appropriate response by the federal aviation administration, Douglas aircraft company, and ryan international airlines to the…NTSB DCA91MA018Accident · 34 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportBoeing 737-300 · Los Angeles, CAThe failure of the Los Angeles air traffic facility management to implement procedures that provided redundancy comparable to the requirements contained in the national operational position standards and the failure of the FAA air traffic service to provide…NTSB DCA91MA019Accident · Serious injuriesMajor investigationFinal reportBritish Aerospace 3101 · Beckley, WVFlight into known adverse weather conditions by the pilot, which resulted in ice accumulation on the aircraft and subsequent loss of aircraft control (tail plane stall) as the flaps were fully extended. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's…