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

August 1, 2016 · Beech F33 A · N6728X

Blythe, CA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
August 1, 2016
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (3 uninjured)
Location
Blythe, CA
Aircraft
Beech F33 A (1983)
Tail Number
N6728X
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
GAA16CA411

The pilot was conducting a night, visual meteorological conditions flight from a rural desert airport, and reported that prior to the flight, she did a weight and balance, checked the temperature, and did performance calculations. The pilot reported that after rotation, the airplane was not producing "sufficient power and not climbing as anticipated" and the stall warning horn was audible. She lowered the airplane's nose, and the stall warning horn silenced. The pilot further reported that she heard "scraping" [ground impact] against the airplane, but she could not see the terrain due to the night conditions. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground off of the airport, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. In a follow up email conversation with the pilot's attorney, the attorney said that the pilot reported that the engine was producing power at the time that the aerodynamic stall warning horn was audible and just before impact, but noted that the power was not sufficient. A photograph of the accident airplane provided by the FAA inspector that responded to the accident, showed all three blades exhibited tip curl, torsional twisting and S-bending, consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. The airplane performance and weight and balance calculations that the pilot performed prior to the accident flight were requested by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), but were not provided. The pilot stated she was unaware of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot exceeded the critical angle of attack during takeoff at night resulting in an aerodynamic stall. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses aerodynamic stalls and states in part: The key to stall awareness is the pilot's ability to visualize the wing's angle of attack in any particular circumstance, and thereby be able to estimate his/her margin of safety above stall. This is a learned skill that must be acquired early in flight training and carried through the pilot's entire flying career. The pilot must understand and appreciate factors such as airspeed, pitch attitude, load factor, relative wind, power setting, and aircraft configuration in order to develop a reasonably accurate mental picture of the wing's angle of attack at any particular time. It is essential to flight safety that a pilot takes into consideration this visualization of the wing's angle of attack prior to entering any flight maneuver. Stall accidents usually result from an inadvertent stall at a low altitude in which a recovery was not accomplished prior to contact with the surface.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed to climb and her exceedance of the airplane's critical angle-of-attack during takeoff initial climb at night, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude.

Full Narrative

"***This report was modified on December 22, 2016. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** The pilot was conducting a night, visual meteorological conditions flight from a rural desert airport, and reported that prior to the flight, she did a weight and balance, checked the temperature, and did performance calculations. The pilot reported that after rotation, the airplane was not producing "sufficient power and not climbing as anticipated" and the stall warning horn was audible. She lowered the airplane's nose, and the stall warning horn silenced. The pilot further reported that she heard "scraping" [ground impact] against the airplane, but she could not see the terrain due to the night conditions. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the ground off of the airport, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. In a follow up email conversation with the pilot's attorney, the attorney said that the pilot reported that the engine was producing power at the time that the aerodynamic stall warning horn was audible and just before impact, but noted that the power was not sufficient. A photograph of the accident airplane provided by the FAA inspector that responded to the accident, showed all three blades exhibited tip curl, torsional twisting and S-bending, consistent with the engine producing power at the time of impact. The airplane performance and weight and balance calculations that the pilot performed prior to the accident flight were requested by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), but were not provided. The pilot stated she was unaware of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3A (2004). This handbook discusses aerodynamic stalls and states in part: The key to stall awareness is the pilot's ability to visualize the wing's angle of attack in any particular circumstance, and thereby be able to estimate his/her margin of safety above stall. This is a learned skill that must be acquired early in flight training and carried through the pilot's entire flying career. The pilot must understand and appreciate factors such as airspeed, pitch attitude, load factor, relative wind, power setting, and aircraft configuration in order to develop a reasonably accurate mental picture of the wing's angle of attack at any particular time. It is essential to flight safety that a pilot takes into consideration this visualization of the wing's angle of attack prior to entering any flight maneuver. Stall accidents usually result from an inadvertent stall at a low altitude in which a recovery was not accomplished prior to contact with the surface.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time00:45 PDT
Nearest AirportBLYTHE (1nm N)
Runway17
Runway Length5800 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBeech F33 A
Tail NumberN6728X
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · IO-520BB · Reciprocating · 285
Seats5

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (3 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured3
Total3
Crew 1Age 60 · Second Class · None
Crew 2Age 27 · None
Crew 3None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightNight
Wind200° @ 7 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Altimeter29.80 inHg
Observation Time07:52
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data