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.
Mcsherrystown, PA
The pilot reported that when he arrived at night, there were snow showers at the airport. While turning final, he turned his landing lights on. However, he reported that he could see better with the landing lights off, so he turned them off. After touching down on the grass runway, he elected to slow down and make a 180 degree turn to taxi back down the runway to the terminal building. During the landing roll, he moved over to the left side of the runway toward a ditch that protruded 26 ft inside the runway lights. The ditch was located about 1654 ft from the approach end of the runway where a stream crossed through a culvert, under the runway. There were indications that the ditch had eroded inside the runway lights after the airport was certified. Six yellow halves of 55 gallon drums were used to mark the obstruction, but they were not lighted. As the pilot was slowing near the left side of the runway, the left main gear and nosewheel dropped into the ditch.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED AT NIGHT, THERE WERE SNOW SHOWERS AT THE AIRPORT. WHILE TURNING FINAL, HE TURNEDHIS LANDING LIGHTS ON. HOWEVER, HE REPORTED THAT HE COULD SEE BETTER WITH THE LANDING LIGHTS OFF, SO HE TURNED THEM OFF. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN ON THE GRASS RUNWAY, HE ELECTED TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO TAXI BACK DOWN THE RUNWAY TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, HE MOVED OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY TOWARD A DITCH THAT PROTRUDED 26 FT INSIDE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE DITCH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1654 FT FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY WHERE A STREAM CROSSED THROUGH A CULVERT, UNDER THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE DITCH HAD ERRODED INSIDE THERUNWAY LIGHTS AFTER THE AIRPORT WAS CERTIFIED. SIX YELLOW HALVES OF 55 GALLON DRUMS WERE USED TO MARK THE OBSTRUCTION, BUT THEY WERE NOT LIGHTED. AS THE PILOT WAS SLOWING NEAR THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND NOSEWHEEL DROPPED INTO THE DITCH.