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.
Langley, WA
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that due to the tall trees that surrounded the airport he elected to land to the north with a tailwind because of "less tree obstacles". He further reported that the airplane "touched down too far down the runway". He attempted to stop the airplane from over running the runway, but was unsuccessful. The airplane over ran the runway, impacted a grass berm, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Advisory Circular (AC) 91-79A. This AC discusses the hazards associated with runway overruns and the effect of a tailwind on landing distance and states in part: The pilot must be aware of airspeed during the approach and of the targeted reference landing airspeed (VREF)/airspeed, plus wind gust adjustments, over the runway threshold. An excessive approach speed may result in an excessive speed over the runway's threshold, which may result in landing beyond the intended touchdown point as well as a higher speed from which the pilot must bring the airplane to a stop. The effect of a tailwind on landing distance is significant and is a factor in determining the landing distance required. Given the airplane will land at a particular airspeed, independent of the wind, the principal effect of a tailwind on operational landing distance is the change in the ground speed at which the airplane touches down.
The pilot's decision to land with a tailwind, which resulted in, landing long, a runway overrun, and impact with a berm and nose over.
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that due to the tall trees that surrounded the airport he elected to land to the north with a tailwind because of "less tree obstacles". He further reported that the airplane "touched down too far down the runway". He attempted to stop the airplane from over running the runway, but was unsuccessful. The airplane over ran the runway, impacted a grass berm, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Advisory Circular (AC) 91-79A. This AC discusses the hazards associated with runway overruns and the effect of a tailwind on landing distance and states in part: The pilot must be aware of airspeed during the approach and of the targeted reference landing airspeed (VREF)/airspeed, plus wind gust adjustments, over the runway threshold. An excessive approach speed may result in an excessive speed over the runway's threshold, which may result in landing beyond the intended touchdown point as well as a higher speed from which the pilot must bring the airplane to a stop. The effect of a tailwind on landing distance is significant and is a factor in determining the landing distance required. Given the airplane will land at a particular airspeed, independent of the wind, the principal effect of a tailwind on operational landing distance is the change in the ground speed at which the airplane touches down.