Overall Trends
Total, fatal, and serious accidents in the selected range.
Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.
Fast key and full-text search with live filters, watches, and precise metadata.
Use quotes for exact phrase matches (for example "fuel selector valve").
Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.
Major cases, deep-report coverage, and investigation media across decades of NTSB history.
Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.
NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.
The goal is practical safety education: make it faster to find relevant investigations, compare similar events, review factual records, and understand the evidence behind probable-cause and preliminary reports.
The investigative work and source records belong to the National Transportation Safety Board and the published investigation record. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NTSB.
Talkeentna, AK
THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF ON A 950 FOOT GRAVEL AIRSTRIP. HE ABORTED HIS TAKE OFF APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY DOWN THE AIRSTRIP. DURING THE ABORTED TAKE OFF ROLL, THE NOSE WHEEL HIT A SOFT SPOT ON THE AIRSTRIP AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED DOWN.
THE UNSUITABLE TAKEOFF AREA SELECTED. A FACTOR WAS THE SOFT SPOT IN THE AIRSTRIP'S SURFACE.
On August 22, 1994, at 1316 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 150J airplane, N61272, registered to David Drews of Palmer, Alaska, and operated by Daniel Kurtz, the pilot, also of Palmer, struck a soft spot on the runway during takeoff and nosed down on a gravel airstrip located below the Kahiltna Glacier, near Talkeetna, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing the gravel strip and the destination was Palmer. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and his passenger were not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. According to a passenger, who was waiting to be flown out next, the airplane started the take off and the nose wheel hit a soft, sandy spot. The pilot aborted the take off, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed down. According to the pilot's statement, the take off was aborted when he lost lift approximately 450 feet down the 950 foot long runway. During the aborted take off roll the nose wheel hit a soft spot and collapsed. The airplane was equipped with an O-320-E2A engine capable of producing 150 horsepower. The airplane records showed a Supplemental Type Certificate, however, there were no new performance figures or charts to show if there was any change in performance. According to the airplane owner's manual, at a gross weight condition, the interpolated take off distance for the conditions described by the pilot was 820 feet at a minimum.