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.
Karns, TN
The pilot stated he landed at an landing zone to pick up in jured personnel. The slope was too steep so he decided to reposition the helicopter, and picked up to a hover. He was looking out the left side of the helicopter watching wires next to a driveway. He turned the tail to the right and the tail rotor collided with a 15 foot tall tree.
The pilot's failure to maintain a visual lookout while repo sitioning the helicopter at a road side landing zone resulting in an in-flight (hover) collision with a tree.
On February 26, 2000, at about 0216 central standard time, a Bell 412, N411UT, registered to University Health System Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 air ambulance positioning flight, experienced an in-flight collision with a tree with maneuvering at a road side landing zone (LZ). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot, flight nurse and emergency medical technician reported no injuries. The flight originated about 15 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he landed at an LZ to pick up injured personal. The slope was of the terrain was too steep, so he decided to reposition the helicopter and picked up to a hover. He was looking out the left side of the helicopter watching wires next to a driveway. He turned the tail to the right and the tail rotor collided with about a 15-foot-tall tree. There were loud grinding noises and the helicopter yawed to the right. He reduced collective and the helicopter came to rest on the skids.