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.
Mystic, CT
According to the sport pilot, he was test flying the experimental airplane in the traffic pattern. While on final approach, with a flap setting of 20 degrees, he increased the flaps to 40 degrees. At that time, the airplane began to stall and he tried to increase engine power. He stated that when the airplane stalled, his airspeed was too slow and he was too low. The left main landing gear contacted the top of some trees and then impacted the ground. The pilot stated that he had about 4 hours in the accident airplane and that he was still test flying it. His total time in make and model was approximately 9 hours and his total pilot time was about 60 hours.
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during final approach, resulting in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total flight experience.
On September 20, 2009, at 1040 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Kolb Mark III Extra, N208NS, collided with the tops of trees while on final approach to Wychwood Field Airport (CT48), Mystic, Connecticut. The certificated sport pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, received minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, he was test flying the airplane in the traffic pattern. While on final approach, with a flap setting of 20 degrees, he increased the flaps to 40 degrees. At that time the airplane began to stall and he tried to increase engine power. He stated that when the airplane stalled, his airspeed was too slow and he was too low. The left wheel hit the top of some trees and then went down. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane was observed about 100 feet into the woods in a nose low attitude. The left wing spar was snapped, the tail boom was broken into two pieces, and there was impact damage to the right wing. Damage to the engine consisted of the carburetors, exhaust and engine mounts. The airplane was certificated and issued a special airworthiness certificate on August 6, 2009. The pilot stated that he had about 4 hours in this airplane and that he was still test flying it. His total time in this make and model was approximately 9 hours and his total pilot time was about 60 hours.