Premium research interface

The modern interface for aviation safety intelligence.

Search investigations, review source evidence, monitor watched reports, and trace long-term patterns from one calm, data-first workspace.

63k+
Reports indexed
1940-2026
Coverage
Recent
Last data refresh
Featured Report

Loading…

Loading featured report…

Loading…
Open Report

Safety trends by operating rule

Track fatal and non-fatal accident patterns across Part 91, Part 135, and Part 121 operations.

Loading trend charts…

Browse the aviation graph

Move quickly by aircraft, airport, operator, and time with indexes built for research, not wandering.

Last Data Update

By Decade

By Month

Aircraft Manufacturer

More manufacturers

Airports

More airports

Operators

More operators

About

Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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.

FAQs

NTSB Report

July 7, 2016 · Gulfstream American AA 5 A · N26908

Cheyenne, WY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 7, 2016
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Cheyenne, WY
Aircraft
Gulfstream American AA 5 A (1979)
Tail Number
N26908
Operator
Tomorrows Aeronautical Museum
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN16LA256

The flight instructor and student pilot were departing on an instructional cross-country flight when, just after takeoff, the airplane encountered wind and turbulence. The instructor had difficulty maintaining altitude and elected to perform an off-airport precautionary landing, during which the right wing sustained substantial damage. A weather study revealed conditions conducive to low-level wind shear and turbulence at the accident site at the time of the accident. Although the instructor had received an abbreviated weather briefing before departure, the briefing did not advise of the potential for low-level wind shear. It is likely that the encounter with wind shear during departure made it difficult for the airplane to maintain altitude.

NTSB Probable Cause

The airplane’s encounter with low-level wind shear during takeoff, which resulted in an off-airport landing.

Full Narrative

On July 7, 2016, about 1155 mountain daylight time, a Gulfstream American CORP AA-5A airplane, N26908, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after departing Cheyenne Regional Airport/Jerry Olson Field (KCYS), Cheyenne, Wyoming. The flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident and was en route to Eppley Airfield (KOMA), Omaha, Nebraska. The flight instructor stated that the takeoff was normal; however, at the departure end of the runway, between 300 and 400 feet above the ground, "the wind started blowing from all directions" and he had difficulty maintaining control of the airplane. The flight instructor had difficulty maintaining altitude and elected to land the airplane on the road next to a school. During the landing roll, the flight instructor maneuvered the airplane to avoid hitting construction workers directly ahead of him. The right wing hit a construction sign and was substantially damaged. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine at the time of the accident. A weather study was conducted by a meteorologist with the National Transportation Safety Board. The National Weather Service charts depicted a low pressure system over southeast Wyoming and a mid-level trough just west of the accident site. Winds at the 700-hPa level were westerly around 10 knots, whereas winds at the 500-hPa level increased to 60 knots. There were no AIRMETs, SIGMETs, or center weather advisories valid for the accident site at the time of the accident. One PIREP in the area reported moderate "chop" between 6,500 feet and 8,500 feet mean sea level. The terminal aerodrome forecast valid at the time of the accident forecast winds from 300° at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots. Cheyenne Regional Airport had the closest official weather station to the accident site, 2 miles south-southeast of the accident location. The observation taken at 1153 reported wind 090° at 9 knots, and clear skies. The observation taken at 1208, after the accident, reported wind from 090° at 7 knots. The closest non-official surface observation site (5 miles west of the accident site) reported wind from 274° with gusts to 19 knots at 1215. Weather service radar depicted a dry-line boundary at the accident site, at the time of the accident. Wind speed and direction changed with altitude associated with this dry-line boundary and would have had a corresponding increase in low-level turbulence and low-level wind shear. A search of official weather briefing sources revealed that the flight instructor contacted Lockheed Martin Flight Service at 0853 on the morning of the accident and received an abbreviated briefing for the flight from Rock Springs, Wyoming, to Cheyenne, Wyoming. There was no record of the flight instructor receiving or retrieving any additional weather information before the accident flight.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time11:55 MDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftGulfstream American AA 5 A
Tail NumberN26908
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorTomorrows Aeronautical Museum
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · 0-320 E2G · Reciprocating · 150
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 62 · Second Class · None
Crew 2Age 16 · None · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind90° @ 9 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point39 C
Altimeter30.10 inHg
Observation Time17:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data