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

December 25, 2017 · Piper PA 28R-200 200 · N550D

Riverton, WY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
December 25, 2017
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (5 uninjured)
Location
Riverton, WY
Aircraft
Piper PA 28R-200 200 (1970)
Tail Number
N550D
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
CEN18LA052

The private pilot was attempting to take off and noted that the airplane's landing light was not working. Although the runway lights provided him with good visibility, his depth perception was limited. As the airplane approached the intersection with the crossing runway during the takeoff roll, the pilot thought that the airplane was approaching the end of the runway. He rotated the airplane to lift off, but it had not gained enough airspeed to become airborne, so he decided to reject the takeoff. As he reduced engine power, he lost directional control, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that there were no issues with the airplane during the accident takeoff other than the inoperative landing light. He noted that a better review of the airport diagram and a working landing light might have improved his situational awareness during the takeoff.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's loss of directional control during the rejected takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airport runway configuration, which led to his premature attempt to take off, and the airplane’s inoperative landing light.

Full Narrative

On December 24, 2017, about 1740 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N550D, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion on takeoff from runway 28 (8,204 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the Riverton Regional Airport (RIW), Riverton, Wyoming. The pilot and four passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to Oracle Aviation, LLC and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The intended destination was the Stanford Field Airport (U12), St Anthony, Idaho.The pilot stated that he initially departed from Millard Airport (MLE), with planned fuel stops at Gordon Municipal Airport (GRN) and RIW. After refueling at RIW, the pilot recognized that the landing light was not working. He noted that it was working during the previous flight into RIW. The pilot recalled having good visibility with the runway lights, but he did not have good depth perception. As the airplane approached the intersection with the crossing runway during the takeoff roll, he thought that they were approaching the end of the runway. He rotated the airplane in an attempt to lift off, but the airplane had not gained enough airspeed to become airborne at that point. He decided to reject the takeoff and, as he reduced engine power, he lost directional control and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that there were no issues with the airplane during the accident takeoff, other than the inoperative landing light. He noted that a functioning landing light and a better review of the airport diagram might have prevented the accident. A review of the available weight and balance data indicated that pilot's calculation was complete and correct, and that the airplane was loaded within limits during the accident takeoff. The airplane was equipped with four seats and seatbelts. The pilot stated that two children occupied one seat and were sharing a seatbelt at the time of the accident takeoff. Federal Aviation Administration regulations do not require a landing light for operations under Part 91 unless they are conducted for hire. However, any inoperative equipment must be deactivated and placarded according to the regulations.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time17:40 MST
Nearest AirportRiverton Regional (1nm W)
Runway28
Runway Length8204 ft
Runway Width150 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA 28R-200 200
Tail NumberN550D
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-360-C1C · Reciprocating · 200
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (5 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured5
Total5
Crew 1Age 35 · Third Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightNight
Wind60° @ 3 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point0 C / -8 C
Altimeter30.02 inHg
Observation Time00:53

Appendix: Source Data