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.
Bird Island, MN
According to the pilot, during a low altitude agricultural aerial application flight he observed a glitch in the satellite navigation system. He reported that he attempted to identify the glitch and his attention was focused inside the cockpit. The pilot recalled that while focused inside the cockpit, he heard and felt the corn stalks that he was spraying, strike the airplane. He reported that he then looked outside the cockpit and "observed a slight rise in terrain", he increased throttle and pulled back on the stick. However, the airplane descended into the cornfield, yawed to the right, impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.
The pilot's diverted attention inside the cockpit and failure to maintain the airplane's altitude while maneuvering at a low altitude, resulting in an impact with terrain.
According to the pilot, during a low altitude agricultural aerial application flight he observed a glitch in the satellite navigation system. He reported that he attempted to identify the glitch and his attention was focused inside the cockpit. The pilot recalled that while focused inside the cockpit, he heard and felt the corn stalks that he was spraying, strike the airplane. He reported that he then looked outside the cockpit and "observed a slight rise in terrain", he increased throttle and pulled back on the stick. However, the airplane descended into the cornfield, yawed to the right, impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with airplane that would have prevented normal flight operations.