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.
River Falls, WI
The flight instructor and student pilot reported problems with the airplane’s engine shortly after takeoff. The flight instructor stated that the engine “quit abruptly” and “seized,” and the student pilot stated that the engine “locked up” and lost total power. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and made a forced landing in a field, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no fuel remaining in the wing tanks and no evidence of a fuel spill. The fuel system was not compromised. According to the accident report submitted by the flight instructor they departed with 8 gallons of fuel and were flying for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Postaccident examination revealed that the engine rotated freely, and compression was verified on all cylinders. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated. Thus, the engine likely lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
The student pilot’s and flight instructor’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
On June 1, 2022, about 1215 central daylight time, a Grumman AA-1B airplane, N6298L, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near St. Croix Riviera Airport (6WI2), River Falls, Wisconsin. The student pilot sustained minor injuries, and the flight instructor sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, during the accident flight, he and the student pilot performed two takeoffs and landings and that, on the third takeoff, the engine “quit abruptly” at an altitude of about 150 ft. The flight instructor stated that the engine appeared to have “seized instantly.” The student pilot reported that, during the initial climb after takeoff and when the airplane was about 150 to 200 ft above ground level, the engine “locked up” and lost total power. At that time, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and made a forced landing to a vacant field south of the airport, which was straight ahead of the departure runway. The airplane came to rest upright in the field, which resulted in substantial damage to the left outboard wing panel. Examination of the airplane at the accident scene found no fuel in the wing fuel tanks. A subsequent examination revealed that the fuel tanks were not breached and that the other fuel system components had no discrepancies. According to the accident report submitted by the flight instructor they departed with 8 gallons of fuel and were flying for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The engine rotated freely, and compression was verified on all cylinders. Both magnetos produced spark when rotated.