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.
Rainier, WA
The pilot was attempting to land to the southwest on a grass runway. As he cleared the tree line, the pilot reduced power and increased his sink rate. The pilot noticed that the aircraft was descending too fast and added power, however, the airplane continued to settle and collided with trees. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain approximately 100 feet short of the intended runway. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures at the time of the accident.
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper decent rate on approach. A factor was the trees in close proximity to the airport.
On March 14, 2002, about 1400 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 170B, N8065A, sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees and terrain at Taylor Airport (3WA0), a private airstrip near Rainier, Washington. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The airplane is owned by a private party, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Western Airpark, Yelm, Washington, approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. In a written statement, the pilot reported that as he cleared the trees on final approach, he "...eased the nose over and powered back to descend to the runway. The aircraft began to settle very fast (much more than usual), I added power, but before the power could take hold, the left wing struck a tree about 2 inches from the tip." The aircraft then collided with nearby trees as it fell to the ground, and came to rest nose down approximately 100 feet from the approach end of the runway. At 1354, the Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at Olympia, Washington (KOLM), approximately 11 nautical miles west of the accident site, reported winds 220 degrees at 11 knots, few clouds at 2900 feet, broken clouds at 4800 feet, visibility 10 statue miles, temperature 6 degrees Celsius, dew point 1 degree Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.23 inches. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failure on the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form.