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.
Pageland, SC
The airplane was observed to approach the airport from the northwest. As it crossed the northeast end of the runway, it initiated a right turn to cross the runway about the midpoint to a position for a left downwind for landing on runway 5. Its altitude was estimated to be about 200-300 feet above the ground and the landing gear was down. The witness did not observe the airplane further. It collided with the ground about 0.4 miles from the threshold. The morning sun was about 10 degrees above the horizon and was about 33 degrees to the right of the runway centerline. It would have been in the pilot's face during his flight from the last departure point. The landing runway sloped upward from the landing threshold. The lower-than-normal traffic pattern, the sun's position in relation to the airplane flight path, and the runway slope could have caused the pilot to perceive his altitude as being higher than it actually was.
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO APPROACH THE AIRPORT FROM THE NORTHWEST. AS IT CROSSED THE NORTHEAST END OF THE RUNWAY, IT INITIATED A RIGHT TURN TO CROSS THE RUNWAY ABOUT THE MIDPOINT TO A POSITION FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 5. ITS ALTITUDE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 200-300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN. THE WITNESS DID NOT OBSERVE THE AIRPLANE FURTHER. IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ABOUT 0.4 MILES FROM THE THRESHOLD. THE MORNING SUN WAS ABOUT 10 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON AND WAS ABOUT 33 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PILOT'S FACE DURING HIS FLIGHT FROM THE LAST DEPARTURE POINT. THE LANDING RUNWAY SLOPED UPWARD FROM THE LANDING THRESHOLD. THE LOWER-THAN-NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE SUN'S POSITION IN RELATION TO THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT PATH, AND THE RUNWAY SLOPE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PILOT TO PERCIEVE HIS ALTITUDE AS BEING HIGHER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS.