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.
Rainelle, WV
As the airplane was landing on an upward sloping turf runway, the pilot selected full flaps, and airplane started to sink. Power was added to compensate; however, the nose wheel impacted the slope and separated from the fuselage. The airplane bounced back into the air, continued down the runway, and touched down again. The nose section of the airplane dug into the turf before the airplane slid to a stop. According to a passenger, the airplane was coming over the 'last mountain,' when he felt the plane drop. The pilot then attempted to pull up, but was unable to, and the plane hit the ground and bounced. A second passenger, who was seated in the aft right seat of the airplane, stated, 'it felt like the plane lost lift and hit hard on the landing gear.' The pilot stated that it was his first landing at the airport.
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper decent rate. A factor was the up-sloping runway.
On July 16, 2000, about 1400 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 172H, N1748F, was substantially damaged while landing at the Rainelle Airport (9W4), Rainelle, West Virginia. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated that he encountered light turbulence while landing on Runway 35, a 3,300-foot long turf runway. As the airplane crossed over the end of the runway, he selected full flaps. The airplane then started to sink and power was added to compensate. The airplane touched down on all three landing gear, bounced, and touched down again. As the nose was lowered, it dropped to the ground and stopped the engine. According to a passenger that was seated in the right front seat of the airplane, the airplane was coming over the "last mountain," when he felt the plane drop. The pilot then attempted to pull up, but was unable to, and the plane hit the ground and bounced. A second passenger, who was seated in the aft right seat of the airplane, stated, "it felt like the plane lost lift and hit hard on the landing gear." The nose gear wheel then broke off and the gear collapsed. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the runway was sloped upward at the approach end. The inspector added that it was the pilot's first landing at 9W4. The airplane was examined on July 18, 2000, by the FAA inspector. No abnormalities were noted. The weather reported at an airport located about 16 miles to the southeast of the accident site, at 1345, included winds from 240 degrees at 10 knots and light thunderstorms and rain.