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.
New Bern, NC
The pilot was on an instrument flight rules flight. The controller cleared the pilot for a VOR runway 22 approach at the destination airport. The pilot initiated a descent and did not apply carburetor heat. The Let-Down procedures in the checklist states, "Carburetor Heat-AS REQUIRED to prevent carburetor icing." Upon reaching the minimum descent altitude for the approach, the pilot increased the throttle and did not get an engine response. The pilot realized he could not make the runway and made a forced landing into a river. The surface weather observation at the destination airport revealed the temperature was 75-degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point temperature was 61-degrees Fahrenheit. Review of the Department of Transportation Icing Probability Chart indicates the airplane will encounter serious icing conditions at glide power. The engine was mounted in a test stand and an alternate fuel, and battery source was attached. Engine controls, and magneto grounding wires were installed. The mixture control was safetied wired in the full rich position. The engine was started and ran at idle power. After engine warm up the throttle was advanced to full power and the engine stabilized at takeoff rpm of 2,000. The throttle was returned back to the idle position, the safety wire on the mixture was cut, and the engine was shut down with the mixture control.
The pilot's failure to activate the carburetor heat during approach resulting in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.
The pilot was on an instrument flight rules flight. The controller cleared the pilot for a VOR runway 22 approach at the destination airport. The pilot initiated a descent and did not apply carburetor heat. The Let-Down procedures in the checklist states, "Carburetor Heat-AS REQUIRED to prevent carburetor icing." Upon reaching the minimum descent altitude for the approach, the pilot increased the throttle and did not get an engine response. The pilot realized he could not make the runway and made a forced landing into a river. The surface weather observation at the destination airport revealed the temperature was 75-degrees Fahrenheit and the dew point temperature was 61-degrees Fahrenheit. Review of the Department of Transportation Icing Probability Chart indicates the airplane will encounter serious icing conditions at glide power. The engine was mounted in a test stand and an alternate fuel, and battery source was attached. Engine controls, and magneto grounding wires were installed. The mixture control was safetied wired in the full rich position. The engine was started and ran at idle power. After engine warm up the throttle was advanced to full power and the engine stabilized at takeoff rpm of 2,000. The throttle was returned back to the idle position, the safety wire on the mixture was cut, and the engine was shut down with the mixture control.