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.
Butte, MT
Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane begin its takeoff roll on runway 33 from taxiway E. They stated that after becoming airborne, the airplane got about 50 to 60 feet in the air, then made a sharp right turn. The witnesses stated that the airplane '[took] a nosedive' or 'nosed into the ground' when it made this sharp right turn. The aircraft impacted the ground and came to rest just east of the intersection of runways 15/33 and 11/29. A post-crash fire ensued; however, the aircraft occupants were moved to safety by responding emergency personnel. The pilot reported to the NTSB that he had little recollection of the accident sequence. Investigators did not determine the reason for the sharp right turn and nose drop to ground impact observed by the witnesses. A report by the responding FAA inspector stated that the aircraft's engine was producing power at impact.
A loss of aircraft control for undetermined reasons.
On August 2, 2000, approximately 1020 mountain daylight time, a Kokenge Glastar experimental-category airplane, N4350K, was destroyed in a collision with terrain following takeoff from runway 33 at Bert Mooney Field, Butte, Montana. The private pilot-in-command and his passenger received serious injuries in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the FAA did not indicate any record of the aircraft filing a flight plan for the 14 CFR 91 personal flight bound for Yakima, Washington. Witnesses reported that they observed the airplane begin its takeoff roll on runway 33 from taxiway E. They stated that after becoming airborne, the airplane got about 50 to 60 feet in the air, then made a sharp right turn. The witnesses stated that the airplane "[took] a nosedive" or "nosed into the ground" when it made this sharp right turn. The aircraft impacted the ground and came to rest just east of the intersection of runways 15/33 and 11/29. A post-crash fire ensued; however, the aircraft occupants were moved to safety by responding emergency personnel. The pilot reported to the NTSB that he had little recollection of the accident sequence. Investigators did not determine the reason for the sharp right turn and nose drop to ground impact observed by the witnesses. A report by the responding FAA inspector, from the Helena, Montana Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), stated that the aircraft's engine was producing power at impact. According to one witness, an airport weather observer who had just taken an hourly observation, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were: temperature 79 degrees F, winds variable at 5 knots, few clouds at 10,000 feet, few clouds at 15,000 feet, and visibility 25 statute miles with haze. Based on a pressure altitude equal to Mooney Field's elevation of 5,545 feet above sea level and temperature of 79 degrees F, density altitude at the time was computed to be approximately 8,000 feet. According to U.S. Government flight information publications, runway 33 is a 9,000 foot long by 150 foot wide grooved asphalt runway. Approximately 7,070 feet are available for an intersection takeoff from taxiway E.