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.
Ashland, VA
The pilot of the Cessna 182E reported that he was conducting night proficiency takeoffs and landings. The first two takeoffs and landings occurred normally; however, after the third takeoff, just after the airplane had lifted off the runway, the pilot's seat slipped all the way to the rear stops. The pilot then pulled the throttle back to prevent a further climb, and the airplane landed hard on the runway. A subsequent examination of the seat rails, seat rail pinholes, seat adjustment pin and coil spring by a manufacturer's representative and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed no anomalies. Airworthiness Directive 87-20-03 R2 had been complied with, and an annual inspection had been performed about 7 months earlier. Another FAA inspector, about the same size of the pilot, subsequently tested the seat locking mechanisms while sitting in the seat. He found that when the seat locking pin was secured in any of the pin holes, he could not move the seat. However, when the seat pin was not securely locked in a hole, with "very little" weight shift, the seat would slide backwards to the rear stops without the pin engaging any of the pinholes.
The pilot's failure to properly secure the seat locking pin.
The pilot of the Cessna 182E reported that he was conducting night proficiency takeoffs and landings. The first two takeoffs and landings occurred normally; however, after the third takeoff, just after the airplane had lifted off the runway, the pilot's seat slipped all the way to the rear stops. The pilot then pulled the throttle back to prevent a further climb, and the airplane landed hard on the runway. A subsequent examination of the seat rails, seat rail pinholes, seat adjustment pin and coil spring by a manufacturer's representative and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed no anomalies. Airworthiness Directive 87-20-03 R2 had been complied with, and an annual inspection had been performed about 7 months earlier. Another FAA inspector, about the same size of the pilot, subsequently tested the seat locking mechanisms while sitting in the seat. He found that when the seat locking pin was secured in any of the pin holes, he could not move the seat. However, when the seat pin was not securely locked in a hole, with "very little" weight shift, the seat would slide backwards to the rear stops without the pin engaging any of the pinholes.