NTSB investigations, 1985
180,624 investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board since 1962: 174,602 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 year(c.\"eventDate\") = 1985 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 year(c."eventDate") = 1985 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 FTW85LA355Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172RG · Mineral Wells, TXThe main landing gear colapsed during a touch and go landing. The landing gear warning circuit breaker had popped, and the instructor pilot received no warning that the gear was not fully extended.NTSB FTW85LA352Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 152 · Lubbock, TXThe pilot experienced total engine failure when a connecting rod bolt failed and caused the engine to lock up. He was climbing in IMC weather conditions when this occurred. He was radar vectored toward his destination airport. He broke out of the clouds at…NTSB DEN85LA245Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-28-235 · Sugar City, COPlts were participating in mile-high air derby between denver, Colorado and taos, new Mexico. Acft was flying 50 ft AGL and at full throttle. When plt depressed microphone button to give position report, a muffled explosion was heard. Cabin immediately filled…NTSB CHI85LA386Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172 M · Freemont, OHThe pilot stated that just after liftoff a gust of wind pushed him back down almost on the runway. He could not accelerate but did keep the aircraft straight and level as he drifted off the runway through a fence and into some trees at a low airspeed. When…NTSB CHI85LA384Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 150H · Racine, WIThe pilot reported a gust of wind resulted in a nose high left turn just prior to touchdown. Power was added & the left wing contacted the runway. The aircraft went off the left side of the runway and hit a ditch.NTSB ATL85LA281Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna A188B · Baxley, GAPlt attempted ldg in cultivated field after sowing load of rye grass seed. Grnd was soft and wheel dug in and acft nosed over. Plt was not injured.NTSB ATL85FA280Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportCessna 172N · Halls, TNThe private pilot had just leveled off at 2500 feet and pointed out the old naval base to his right front seat passenger when he slumped over the yoke. The passenger in the rear seat held the pilot off the controls while her non-pilot husband attempted to…NTSB SEA85LA218Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWaco UIC · Boise, IDThe plt reported that when he landed, the acft began drifting to the left. Since there was a high speed turn-off ahead, he did not make an immediate correction for the drift. When a correction was applied, the acft did not respond & it continued into a ground…NTSB MKC85LA220Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172K · Kalona, IAThe plt reported that on the initial indication of rain, he elected to takeoff from the harvested soybean field before it became muddy. The field was soft & was about 2100 ft long. Before the acdnt, the wind was from the south, so the plt began his takeoff in…NTSB LAX85LA397Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 182P · Mammoth Lakes, CAThe plt stated that the afct's throttle stuck in the full power position. He shut the engine down using the mixture control, but misjudged his altitude, stalled the aircraft & crashed short of the runway. The condition of the wreckage precluded determination…NTSB FTW85LA353Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-28R-200 · Plainview, TXThe acft was substantially damaged during an emerg landing following an eng failure due to fuel exhaustion. Plt stated that during the 2nd leg of his flt, the ceiling and visibility deteriorated to the point that he was unable to find the arpt at his…NTSB CHI85LA382Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNavion 61G · Greenwood, INThe plt landed long on the 4000 ft asphalt rwy. He stated he was applying heavy braking when his foot slipped causing him to strike and advance the throttle. The acft rolled off the end of the rwy into a corn field.NTSB ATL85FLT12Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportCessna 150L · Tunica, MSThe acft sustained substantial damage during a forced landing in a cotton fld following fuel exhaustion. Purpose of the flt was to take aerial photographs. Post accident inspection of the acft disclosed 2.5 gallons of fuel remaining in the right fuel tank and…NTSB ATL85FKG10Accident · No injuriesFinal reportPiper PA 60-700P · Hampton, GAThe plt feathered the #2 eng during flt when the oil pressure dropped to zero. #1 alternator failed to produce power and when the landing gear was lowered the battery was depleted to the point that the cockpit instrument lights went out. The acft was landed…NTSB NYC85FHJ06Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportRobinson R-22 · Ronkonkoma, NYWhile hovering student pilot applied aft cyclic and the flt instructor could not regain control before tail rotor struck the taxiway. Helicopter rotated violently and rolled over and to rest on the skids. The helicopter was destroyed.NTSB MIA85LA259Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna C-152 · Lantana, FLThe plt stated that he was hovering at an altitude of about three feet. Approximately 100 feet north of the rwy. When an out-of-control Cessna 152 tore off their right landind skid. The helicopter landed safely using a wooden dolly for support of the right…NTSB FTW85LA351Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-32-300 · Mt. Pleasant, TXThe pilot stated he lost engine power shortly after takeoff. He made an emergency forced landing in a grassy field. An examination showed a collapsed flex air duct from the air filter to the fuel injector. A forty five degree metal duct was not installed…NTSB DEN85LA244Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 425 · Boulder, COThe plt said he made a normal ldg. During ldg roll the left brake would not respond to pedal application. The plt errored by incorrectly feathering both props. The a/c went off the eng of r/w and struck a fence. Examination of the brake system revealed a…NTSB BFO85LA078Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSchleicher ASW-20 · New Castle, VAAccording to the plt, after experiencing a loss of lift, he flew over the open field, observed electrical wires, and continued to fly parallel with the wires. As he turned westward to land in the field, the plt lost sight of the power lines in the sunset.…NTSB ATL85LLT11Accident · No injuriesFinal reportCessna T210L · Elizabethton, TNDuring a dual instructional flt the eng stopped due to fuel starvation during a go-around. During the attempted restart, the instructor failed to switch fuel tanks. The acft touched down in a fld and ran into a wooded area which separated both wings from the…NTSB ATL85LA279Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 177RG · Neola, WVWhile leveling at cruise altitude the engine lost power and the pilot attempted a forced landing in a field. During landing roll the aircraft collided with small trees at the end of the field. Post-crash examination of the engine disclosed a 3 inch crack in…NTSB ANC85LA181Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172 · Shirleyville, AKThe acft nosed over following a loss on control while landing on a gravel road. The plt reported that after a 100 ft landing roll, the right wing caught brush along the side of the road. The acft veered right and the right main gear contacted a log resulting…NTSB SEA85FA217Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportErcoupe 415-C · Orchards, WAThe pvt plt was observed executing a wings level pull-up from a dive during which, the witness reported, the wing tips began fluttering. Immediately thereafter, both wings separated in positive overload. Visual meteorological conditions existed in the area of…NTSB NYC85LA242Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172 · Ware, MAThe student plt and CFI were practicing full stop night landings when the accident occurred. While on final apch for thefourth landing, the acft collided with trees 1.7 NM short of the rwy.NTSB MKC85LA218Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 210N · Mullen, NEThe takeoff was being made from a hay meadow that was soft due to recent rains. The property owner said the field was 1/4 mi long. The density alt was calculate to be 5600 ft. the plt said the acft did not attain takeoff speed & that it collided with a fence…NTSB CHI85FER02Accident · No injuriesFinal reportGrumman 164A · Becker, MNThe plt reported the eng pwr dropped from 2000 to 1550 RPM during the aerial application flt. The plt increased throttleand advanced the prop with no increase in pwr. The acft then settled to ground impact and nosed over. Post accident inspection disclosed…NTSB BFO85FA077Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportCessna 150E · Clinton, MDPlt stated that on initial climb from a normal takeoff, a partial engine pwr loss was experienced. Control of the airplane was lost while maneuvering for a suitable forced landing area. A flight instructor that witnessed the takeoff stated that it appeared to…NTSB ATL85LKG13Accident · No injuriesFinal reportCessna 182N · Panala, ALThe acft collided with a tree during lndg which pulled it to the left off the road chosen for landing. The plt applied pwr to clear a ditch and the acft came to rest in a row of small trees. The plt had said the eng had started missing after takeoff from the…NTSB ANC85LA179Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 207 · Chuathbaluk, AKThe acft made an emergency landing in a river after an eng failure due to fuel exhaustion. The plt stated that he could not determine exact fuel quantity prior to takeoff due to a broken cap on right fuel tank. The operator told the plt to fly the acft…NTSB NYC85FA240Accident · Minor injuriesField investigationFinal reportPiper PA-31-350 · West Mifflin, PADuring an air taxi flight the pilot transmitted that the airplane was out of fuel and landing on a golf course. Less than one gallon of fuel was drained from the wreckage. The airplane was making an unplanned return trip to pick up passengers after a…NTSB MIA85LA258Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 177RG · Ormond Beach, FLThe plt stated that he forgot to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown while on a test flight after maintainence work was performed on the acft.NTSB LAX85LA407Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBell 206B · Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)The helicopter experienced a loss of pwr within 10 minutes after takeoff from a fishing vessel. The helicopter was ditched in the Ocean at coordinates 11.25'N and 103.37'W. Examination of fuel samples from the fishing vessel revealed both upper and lower fuel…NTSB LAX85LA405Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportPiper J3 C-65 · Grand Canyon, AZAfter departing pierce ferry, AZ the plt and his passenger flew east, up the Colorado river, at a low level towards kanab point. The plt's notes and charts show that the flt was to turn north for aprx 40 NM, with a refueling stop at kanab, UT. The bright…NTSB LAX85LA393Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportPitts S-2A · Carlsbad, CAAfter completing an upright spin over the pacific ocean during the filming of a movie viewed from the spinning acft, the plt climbed his acft back to the entry alt and entered a flat inverted spin. The acft was observed to spin through its recovery alt at…NTSB FTW85LAMS2Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportSwearingen SA-226T · MissingA distress message was received from the pilot stating he was 100 miles south of grand isle, LA, and had lost an eng andwas unable to maintain altitude. A second message was received shortly afterwards stating that the aircraft was at 1500 feet and the pilot…NTSB DEN85LA243Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-28-181 · Holyoke, COThe plt landed her a/c in a right xwind and was unable to prevent the a/c from veering off the r/w. the a/c struck a wind t and came to rest in a corn field. The plt was not injured.NTSB CHI85LA381Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 182Q · West Lafayette, INThe plt reported the acft bounced twice on touchdown. The final touchdown was hard and the nose wheel separated. The nose gear strut dug into sod resulting in substantial damage to the acft.NTSB CHI85FA379Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportGulfstream 500-S · Cloquet, MNThe pilot expected the weather to be below minimums but flew the approach anyway. He did not have a second pilot on board per company rules. The aircraft collided with trees about 3 miles from the approach end of runway 17.NTSB SEA85LA215Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportVarga 2150A · Vale, ORThe acft nosed down after the nose gear collapsed during a forced landing on a dirt road following a loss of pwr. The plt reported that aprx 1 hr into the x-country flt he noted the fuel gages indicated 1/2 full on each tank. A state trooper reported he…NTSB MKC85FA217Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportPiper PA-28-181 · What Cheer, IAThe acft was observed flying through the top of a tree, then through a four strand high voltage pwr line. Final impact was relatively flat in a soy-bean field. The plt later stated that he had become disoriented in flt and hallucinated that he was in a Piper…NTSB MIA85LA257Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-24-260 · Leesburg, FLThe pilot stated he was taxiing on a smooth asphalt taxiway in preparation for takeoff when the landing gear collapsed. A post- accident examination of landing gear failed to reveal any malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation of the…NTSB LAX85FVA05Accident · No injuriesFinal reportBeech E-33 · Coalinga, CAThe acft dragged the tail and crashed in a plowed field about 1/4 mile east of the takeoff rwy. The plt said the acft became 'squirrely' on the rwy and went left off the rwydespite her application of rt rudder tracks showed that the acft left rwy after 250 ft…NTSB DEN85LA242Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172 M · Wray, COThe student pilot was on her first solo flight. She stated that she was attempted her first landing and while on approach to the runway shw decided that it 'wasn't quite right.' She executed a go-around but the aircraft struck the ground and cartwheeled.NTSB ANC85LAA04Accident · No injuriesFinal reportPiper PA-22-160 · Fairbanks, AKThe left wing tip contacted the rwy and the left horizontal stabilizer contacted a sign following a loss on control during lanidng. The plt reported being aware of the right quartering x-wind but the acft bounced during the initial touchdown. The left wing…NTSB NYC85LA237Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper J-3 · Chenango Bridge, NYAccording to the pax after takeoff the aircraft climbed to about 300 feet. The pilot then made a right turn. During the turn the pilot yelled out 'we're losing it, we're losing it.' Afterwards the aircraft descended and impacted the ground. The pax does not…NTSB NYC85LA236Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBeech BE-55 · Danbury, CTThe plt stated that on touchdown the left main gear collapsed followed by the right main gear and nose gear. The acft slid aprx 600 to 700 ft before stopping. According to the plt he confirmed the gear was down and locked while on base. A gear cycle test…NTSB NYC85LA235Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPiper PA-38-112 · Madison, CTWhile on the downwind leg for rwy 24, the instructor reduced power to idle for engine failure simulation. The student made a short approach and upon reaching 700 ft AGL the student headed directly toward the approach end of the rwy at a 30 deg angle from rwy…NTSB NYC85IA238Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportBoeing 747-130 · Jamaica, NYThe acft was making a visual app to rwy 31R at Jamaica NY waen the bottom of the aft 60 ft of the fuselage made ground contact. The left outflow valve was scraped and the rear drain mast was separated. Part of the apr access door and several stringers &…NTSB MKC85LA216Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 172M · Emporia, KSTwo plts were on board. The lt seat plt was making the landing when a gust of wind caused the acft to become misaligned with the rwy. The rt seat plt took control of the acft and attempted a go-around. The rt seat plt said he aimed for a clear spot btw trees…NTSB MIA85LA256Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCessna 150L · Indiantown, FLThe acft attempted a take-off from an intermediate point of a damp, soft, turf rwy. A 70 deg. Left x-wind of approx 25 KTS existed at the time. The acft became airborne but was unable to clear trees at the end of the rwy. Thee acft was destroyed in the crash…