Major NTSB investigations, AL

180,610 investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board since 1962: 174,589 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 per year

19842026

Major NTSB investigations, AL per year, 1984–2026: 7 cases
1984	1
1985	2
1986	1
1991	1
1992	1
2013	1

Where

Open the map

Latest cases

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."eventStateOrRegion" = 'AL' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA' 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

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.\"eventStateOrRegion\" = 'AL' AND c.\"eventCountry\" = 'USA'
    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."eventStateOrRegion" = 'AL' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  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 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…Aug 14, 2013 · N155UP · Destroyed 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…Jun 8, 1992 · N118GP · Destroyed 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…Jul 10, 1991 · N7217L · Destroyed NTSB ATL86MA087Accident · 1 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportPiper PA-32-300 · Andalusia, ALThe accident flt was to be the last in a series of flt tests. This flt was for the purpose of determining the landing characteristics of the acft with a combination speed/stol kit installed. When the FAA flt test plt failed to return from the mission a search…Mar 7, 1986 · N1099X · Destroyed NTSB ATL85MA282Accident · 2 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportGates Learjet 35A · Auburn, ALDrg arrival, the aircrew of a Gates lear jet 35A, N873LP, canceled their IFR clearance & contacted the Auburn UNICOM, then entered the traffic pattern to land on rwy 18. The UNICOM operator rprtd that the lear jet crew had rprtd their position on each portion…Sep 22, 1985 · N873LP · 2 aircraft · Destroyed NTSB ATL85MA275Accident · 6 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportSmith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 600 · Eva, ALDrg an IFR arrival/dscnt, the plt stated he 'had to feather 1 eng, I have an oil leak & I'm just trying to dscnd . . .' He then said he was dscndg thru 5300'. As he contd the apch, he informed the controller he would be unable to go around since the hydr sys…Sep 13, 1985 · N680CC · Destroyed NTSB ATL84MA114Accident · 6 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportCessna 421B · Cullman, ALPlt cleared for night NDB rwy 19 apch to folwom field. Erratic radar track drg procedure turn and inbd intercept. Witnesses described 200 ft ceiling and reduced vis in fog at airport. Other witnesses observed acft on northbound course,followed by turn to west…Mar 6, 1984 · N3291Q · Destroyed