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.
Atlantic City, WY
According to the pilot, he was engaged in a filming operation. He had completed a "high groundspeed" pass and was slowing to approximately "20 mph" into the wind. At approximately 75 feet above the ground, and an airspeed of approximately 60 knots, the pilot continued to maneuver the helicopter around the leeward side of a small hill. During the maneuver, the helicopter encountered a sudden wind shear and a "15 to 20 knot tailwind." The pilot stated that the helicopter lost all response to control inputs, and he was unable to maintain altitude. The helicopter descended, struck the terrain and rolled over. The impact crushed the forward fuselage, separated the main rotor assembly, and buckled the tail boom.
the pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control, improper in-flight planning and decision making, and failure to compensate for wind conditions, resulting in collision with terrain. Contributing factors were the intentional low-level maneuver, and the wind shear conditions.
On August 23, 2004, at approximately 1505 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206B3, N2751U, operated by Hawkins and Powers Aviation, Inc., was substantially damaged when it struck high, rolling terrain while maneuvering near Atlantic City, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The local flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial pilot and one passenger received serious injuries and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight originated at approximately 1415. According to the pilot, he was engaged in a filming operation. He was completing a "high groundspeed" pass and was slowing to approximately "20 mph" into the wind. At approximately 75 feet above the ground, and an airspeed of approximately 60 knots, the pilot continued to maneuver the helicopter around the leeward side of a small hill. During the maneuver, the helicopter encountered a sudden wind shear and a "15 to 20 knot tailwind." The pilot stated that helicopter lost all response to control inputs, and he was unable to maintain altitude. The helicopter descended, struck the terrain and rolled over. The impact crushed the forward fuselage, separated the main rotor assembly, and buckled the tail boom. At 1453, the recorded wind condition at Hunt Field (LND), Lander, WY, located approximately 23 nautical miles at 350 degrees, elevation 5586, was, 210 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 18 knots.