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.
Palmetto, FL
The pilot flew uneventfully to a nearby turf-runway airport to purchase fuel. He purchased 35 gallons and attempted to takeoff on runway 7, which was 3,120 ft long. About three-fourths down the runway during takeoff roll, the airspeed was increasing, but had not yet reached rotation speed. At that time, a gust of wind lifted the airplane 10 to 15 ft into the air, before it settled back on to the runway. The pilot initiated a rejected takeoff; however, he subsequently did not think the airplane would stop with 800 ft of runway remaining. He then decided to re-apply full power and try to become airborne again. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway and came to rest upright in an adjacent watermelon field, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at an airport located 9 miles away from the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 120° at 10 kts, gusting to 16 kts. Had the pilot continued the rejected takeoff, rather than initiate a second takeoff attempt with little runway remaining, the airplane may have traveled off the end of the turf runway and into the watermelon field, but it would have been at a much slower groundspeed, resulting in less or no damage.
The pilot’s improper decision to re-attempt a takeoff with little runway remaining, after rejecting a takeoff in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a runway overrun at a higher speed and collision with terrain.
The pilot flew uneventfully to a nearby turf-runway airport to purchase fuel. He purchased 35 gallons and attempted to takeoff on runway 7, which was 3,120 ft long. About three-fourths down the runway during takeoff roll, the airspeed was increasing, but had not yet reached rotation speed. At that time, a gust of wind lifted the airplane 10 to 15 ft into the air, before it settled back on to the runway. The pilot initiated a rejected takeoff; however, he subsequently did not think the airplane would stop with 800 ft of runway remaining. He then decided to re-apply full power and try to become airborne again. The airplane traveled off the end of the runway and came to rest upright in an adjacent watermelon field, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at an airport located 9 miles away from the accident site, about the time of the accident, was from 120° at 10 kts, gusting to 16 kts. Had the pilot continued the rejected takeoff, rather than initiate a second takeoff attempt with little runway remaining, the airplane may have traveled off the end of the turf runway and into the watermelon field, but it would have been at a much slower groundspeed, resulting in less or no damage.