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.
Thomasville, GA
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A SWATH RUN AT ABOUT 5 FT AGL & WAS APPROACHING HI OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE PLT NOTED THAT THE NEEDLES SPLIT, THE ENG RPM INCREASED & THE MAIN ROTOR RPM BEGAN DECREASING. THE PLT TURNED TO AVOID THE OBSTRUCTIONS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. IT HIT THE GROUND IN A RIGHT SIDE, TAIL LOW, ATTITUDE & ROTATED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE MAIN ROTOR MADE GROUND CONTACT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCH HAD BEEN OVERHAULED & INSTALLED, 2.5 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO UNUSUAL WEAR, DEFECTIVE PARTS NOR IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE CLUTCH WAS FOUND. THE CLUTCH HAD BEEN LUBRICATED WITH AN UPDATED OIL. THE MILITARY HAD UPGRADE MIL-L-2105 LUBRICANT TO MIL-L-2105B & C WITH NEW ADDITIVES TO PREVENT LOCKUP OF ITS LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIALS ON NEWER HELICOPTERS. HOWEVER,THE ADDITIVES WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH UH-19D HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCHES WHICH USED A METAL-TO-METAL PRINCIPLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MIL-L-21260 TYPE 1, GRADE 30 OIL WAS MADE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MIL-L-2105A GRADE 80 OIL, WHICH WAS NO LONGER AVAIL
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A SWATH RUN AT ABOUT 5 FT AGL & WAS APPROACHING HI OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE PLT NOTED THAT THE NEEDLES SPLIT, THE ENG RPM INCREASED & THE MAIN ROTOR RPM BEGAN DECREASING. THE PLT TURNED TO AVOID THE OBSTRUCTIONS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. IT HIT THE GROUND IN A RIGHT SIDE, TAIL LOW, ATTITUDE & ROTATED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE MAIN ROTOR MADE GROUND CONTACT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCH HAD BEEN OVERHAULED & INSTALLED, 2.5 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO UNUSUAL WEAR, DEFECTIVE PARTS NOR IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE CLUTCH WAS FOUND. THE CLUTCH HAD BEEN LUBRICATED WITH AN UPDATED OIL. THE MILITARY HAD UPGRADE MIL-L-2105 LUBRICANT TO MIL-L-2105B & C WITH NEW ADDITIVES TO PREVENT LOCKUP OF ITS LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIALS ON NEWER HELICOPTERS. HOWEVER,THE ADDITIVES WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH UH-19D HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCHES WHICH USED A METAL-TO-METAL PRINCIPLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MIL-L-21260 TYPE 1, GRADE 30 OIL WAS MADE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MIL-L-2105A GRADE 80 OIL, WHICH WAS NO LONGER AVAIL