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.
Fall Branch, TN
Prior to departure on a positioning flight, the pilot checked the weather and determined that visual meteorological conditions existed at both his departure and destination airports. However, while the pilot was following a highway in cruise flight at 400 feet above ground level, the ceiling rapidly became lower, and the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions. Moments later, while cruising at an airspeed of 65 knots, the pilot saw marker balls, which indicated that power lines were directly in front of the helicopter. The pilot lowered the collective and entered a right diving turn in order to avoid the wires, but one of the main rotor blades made contact. The rotor speed remained within limits, but the helicopter began to vibrate, so the pilot decided to land in a nearby field. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade that had made contact with the power line was substantially damaged.
The pilot's improper decision to continue a visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a wire strike.
Prior to departure on a positioning flight, the pilot of the helicopter checked the weather and determined that visual meteorological conditions existed at both his departure and destination airports. However, while in cruise flight at 400 feet above ground level while following a highway, the ceiling rapidly became lower, and the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions. Moments later at an airspeed of 65 knots, marker balls appeared which indicated that power lines were directly in front of him. He lowered the collective and entered a right diving turn in order to avoid the wires but one of his main rotor blades made contact with a power line. The rotor speed remained within limits but the helicopter began to vibrate. As a result, the pilot decided to land in a nearby field. Post accident examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade that had made contact with the power line was substantially damaged.