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.
Kailua-Kona, HI
AS THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING OVER RISING TERRAIN AT 300' TO 400' AGL, THE PLT NOTED ALTIMETER & AIRSPEED INDCNS OF 8700' & 60 MPH. AFTER CLIMBING AN ADNL 2 MIN TO APRX 10,000' (12,000' DENSITY ALT), HE NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM WAS BLEEDING OFF. HE MADE A 180 DEG RGT TURN & HEADED DOWN SLOPE, BUT THE HELICOPTER 'CRASH LANDED' AT THE 8500' LEVEL. THE PLT RPRTD THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NW AT 5 KTS & THE TEMP WAS 60 DEG F. APRX 26 MI NW AT KAILUA-KONA, THE 1750 WIND WAS FROM 030 DEG AT 7 KTS. ACCORDING TO WT & BALANCE RECORDS, THE ACFT WAS LOADED TO 3171 LBS (28 LBS UNDER MAX WT LMT).CALCULATIONS SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLIMB AT A RATE OF 616'/MIN TO MAINT A 60 MPH CLIMB OVER THE TRRN. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL, AT 3171 LBS, THE HELICOPTER'S MAX RATE OF CLIMB AT 10,000' WITH 60 DEG AIR TEMP WOULD HAVE BEEN 450'/MIN. ALSO, THE MANUAL SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT ABLE TO HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT AT AN ALT & TEMP OF 10,000' & 60 DEG, WHEN THE GROSS WT WAS AT OR ABOVE 2800 LBS. NO PREIMPACT MECH PROBLEMS WERE FND.
AS THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING OVER RISING TERRAIN AT 300' TO 400' AGL, THE PLT NOTED ALTIMETER & AIRSPEED INDCNS OF 8700' & 60 MPH. AFTER CLIMBING AN ADNL 2 MIN TO APRX 10,000' (12,000' DENSITY ALT), HE NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM WAS BLEEDING OFF. HE MADE A 180 DEG RGT TURN & HEADED DOWN SLOPE, BUT THE HELICOPTER 'CRASH LANDED' AT THE 8500' LEVEL. THE PLT RPRTD THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NW AT 5 KTS & THE TEMP WAS 60 DEG F. APRX 26 MI NW AT KAILUA-KONA, THE 1750 WIND WAS FROM 030 DEG AT 7 KTS. ACCORDING TO WT & BALANCE RECORDS, THE ACFT WAS LOADED TO 3171 LBS (28 LBS UNDER MAX WT LMT).CALCULATIONS SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLIMB AT A RATE OF 616'/MIN TO MAINT A 60 MPH CLIMB OVER THE TRRN. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL, AT 3171 LBS, THE HELICOPTER'S MAX RATE OF CLIMB AT 10,000' WITH 60 DEG AIR TEMP WOULD HAVE BEEN 450'/MIN. ALSO, THE MANUAL SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT ABLE TO HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT AT AN ALT & TEMP OF 10,000' & 60 DEG, WHEN THE GROSS WT WAS AT OR ABOVE 2800 LBS. NO PREIMPACT MECH PROBLEMS WERE FND.