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.
Honolulu, HI
ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS BY BOTH PILOTS, THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CHECK OUT A NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON THE HELICOPTER TYPE. WHILE PRACTICING AN AUTO ROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN, THE NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OVER ROTATED DURING THE FLARE AND SCRAPED THE TAIL SKID ON THE PAVEMENT. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID HE THEN PULLED UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND THE HELICOPTER BALLOONED UPWARD TO ABOUT 15 FEET AGL. THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED WAS LOW, AND, AS A RESULT, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE MAIN ROTOR THEN FLEXED DOWNWARD AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS CHECKING OUT THE NEW PILOT SAID HE HAD HIS HANDS ON THE CONTROLS DURING THE MANEUVER BUT WAS 'UNABLE TO CORRECT FOR THE UNEXPECTED INPUT BY [THE STUDENT]' IN TIME TO PREVENT THE BALLOON AND THE SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING.
THE STUDENT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS DURING AN ATTEMPTED RECOVERY FROM AN OVER ROTATION DURING THE FLARE, AND, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT.
ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS BY BOTH PILOTS, THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CHECK OUT A NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON THE HELICOPTER TYPE. WHILE PRACTICING AN AUTO ROTATION TO TOUCHDOWN, THE NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OVER ROTATED DURING THE FLARE AND SCRAPED THE TAIL SKID ON THE PAVEMENT. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE NEW FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SAID HE THEN PULLED UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND THE HELICOPTER BALLOONED UPWARD TO ABOUT 15 FEET AGL. THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED WAS LOW, AND, AS A RESULT, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE MAIN ROTOR THEN FLEXED DOWNWARD AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS CHECKING OUT THE NEW PILOT SAID HE HAD HIS HANDS ON THE CONTROLS DURING THE MANEUVER BUT WAS 'UNABLE TO CORRECT FOR THE UNEXPECTED INPUT BY [THE STUDENT]' IN TIME TO PREVENT THE BALLOON AND THE SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING.