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.
Quartzsite, AZ
Fuel exhaustion occurred during cruise flight, and the airplane collided with a vehicle on a highway during the ensuing forced landing. Earlier during the day the pilot had landed to refuel. Prior to taking off he had not confirmed that the right wing's fuel tank cap was secured. While flying en route, no evidence of any mechanical malfunction was noted prior to experiencing the sudden loss of all engine power. The pilot reported that he subsequently inspected his airplane and observed that the right wing's fuel tank cap was missing. The pilot stated that fuel in the tank had evidently ported overboard during flight. He indicated that the accident could have been prevented had he performed a better preflight inspection.
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection during which he failed to insure security of the fuel tank's cap.
On July 5, 2007, about 1630 mountain standard time, a Saunders Stiletto, N337DS, experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight and the pilot made a forced landing on Interstate Highway 10, about 25 miles east of Quartzsite, Arizona. During flare, the experimental homebuilt airplane impacted a vehicle and was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the passenger sustained a minor injury. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the personal flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and it originated from Chandler, Arizona, about 1545. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that earlier during the day his airplane had been serviced with fuel at Chandler. The pilot stated that he did not confirm that the right wing's fuel cap had been secured prior to taking off on the accident flight. While flying en route, no evidence of any mechanical malfunction was noted. Suddenly, all engine power was lost and the pilot made a forced landing on the highway. The airplane impacted a vehicle during landing. The pilot reported that he subsequently inspected his airplane and observed that the right wing's fuel cap was missing. The pilot stated that fuel in the tank had evidently ported overboard during flight. The pilot indicated that the accident could have been prevented had he performed a better preflight inspection.