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.
Van Nuys, CA
Near the end of the first flight following installation of an overhauled engine, the engine seized after the pilot noticed a rapid drop in oil pressure. After the accident, the left side lower exterior fuselage was found to be covered with fresh oil, with the oil smear originating near the oil breather line. The engine cowl baffle seals were found installed incorrectly. Less than 1 quart of oil was found in the engine sump. On the external rear sides of the #3 & #4 cylinder barrels, an oval area of heat distress was noted. The crankshaft & piston rods exhibited progressive heat distress on all rod bearings and crankshaft journals, with the #1 rod exhibiting the least heat signatures & the #4 the most severe. The #3 rod cap was found loose in the engine; examination of the cap bolts revealed severe necking signatures at the point of tension failure. A micrometer was used to measure the cylinder barrels for roundness. The #3 cyl was found to be outside the factory spec by .002 inches.
THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION OF THE ENGINE COWL AND BAFFLE SEALS DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE ENGINE FOLLOWING AN OVERHAUL.
NEAR THE END OF THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF AN OVERHAULED ENGINE, THE ENGINE SIEZED AFTER THE PILOT NOTICED A RAPID DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE LEFT SIDE LOWER EXTERIOR FUSELAGE WAS FOUND TO BE COVERED WITH FRESH OIL, WITH THE OIL SMEAR ORIGINATING NEAR THE OIL BREATHER LINE. THE ENGINE COWL BAFFLE SEALS WERE FOUND INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. LESS THAN 1 QUART OF OIL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE SUMP. ON THE EXTERNAL REAR SIDES OF THE #3 & #4 CYLINDER BARRELS, AN OVAL AREA OF HEAT DISTRESS WAS NOTED. THE CRANKSHAFT & PISTON RODS EXHIBITED PROGRESSIVE HEAT DISTRESS ON ALL ROD BEARINGS AND CRANKSHAFT JOURNALS, WITH THE #1 ROD EXHIBITING THE LEAST HEAT SIGNATURES & THE #4 THE MOST SEVERE. THE #3 ROD CAP WAS FOUND LOOSE IN THE ENGINE; EXAMINATION OF THE CAP BOLTS REVEALED SEVERE NECKING SIGNATURES AT THE POINT OF TENSION FAILURE. A MICROMETER WAS USED TO MEASURE THE CYLINDER BARRELS FOR ROUNDNESS. THE #3 CYL WAS FOUND TO BE OUTSIDE THE FACTORY SPEC BY .002 INCHES.