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.
Chelan, WA
The pilot was using rotor wash to dry cherries at low altitude when the helicopter lost hydraulic pressure. After clearing a stand of trees, the pilot made an emergency run-on landing into a vacant field. During the landing, one of the landing skids hit a large hole, and the main rotor severed the tail boom. Post accident examination revealed that an internal seal had leaked resulting in the loss of pressure in the hydraulic system.
Failure of a seal in the hydraulic system resulting in a loss of hydraulic pressure while maneuvering at low altitude.
On July 24, 2009, about 1445 Pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky S-55, N1255T, encountered rough terrain during an off airport emergency landing near Chelan, Washington. The pilot/owner was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage from impact forces. The local other work flight departed Chelan about 1245. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot was drying cherries at low altitude when the helicopter lost hydraulic pressure. He flew the helicopter up to clear the trees, and made a run-on landing into a vacant field. The helicopter encountered a large hole that he had not seen, and the main rotor severed the tail boom. The operator reported that post accident examination revealed that an internal seal had leaked resulting in the loss of pressure in the hydraulic system. To date, the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Accident Report Form 6120.1/2 has not been submitted.