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.
Aguadilla, PR
The day before the accident flight, 12 gallons of fuel was added to the fuel tanks and the airplane was flown three times. The accident flight departed with an unknown quantity of fuel and while maneuvering, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. During the emergency descent, one of the two occupants applied full up elevator control at an airspeed above maneuvering speed (VA) which caused both forward wing spars to fail in the positive direction. The airplane descended near vertical and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed no evidence of flight control preimpact failure or malfunction. Examination of the fuel system revealed no evidence of fuel. Metallurgical examination of the fracture surfaces of the wing spars revealed no evidence of preexisting cracks or corrosion. The airplane had been operated for approximately 30 minutes since departure. The student pilot in the left seat was the only occupant who was authorized to fly the airplane. No determination could be made as to why the private pilot rated passenger was in the airplane.
EXCESSIVE ELEVATOR CONTROL INPUT BY AN UNKNOWN OCCUPANT AT AN AIRSPEED ABOVE MANEUVERING SPEED WHICH CAUSED BOTH FORWARD WING SPARS TO FAIL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO POOR IN FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.
THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLT, 12 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS ADDED TO THE FUEL TANKS & THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN THREE TIMES. THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF FUEL & WHILE MANEUVERING, THE ENGINE QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT, ONE OF THE TWO OCCUPANTS APPLIED FULL UP ELEVATOR CONTROL AT AN AIRSPEED ABOVE MANEUVERING SPEED (VA) WHICH CAUSED BOTH FORWARD WING SPARS TO FAIL IN THE POSITIVE DIRECTION. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED NEAR VERTICAL AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FLIGHT CONTROL PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. EXAM OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACES OF THE WING SPARS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREEXISTING CRACKS OR CORROSION. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES SINCE DEPARTURE. THE STUDENT PLT IN THE LEFT SEAT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT WHO WAS AUTHORIZED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO WHY THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED PASSENGER WAS IN THE AIRPLANE.