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.
Roxbury, ME
The pilot reported that after takeoff he climbed and proceeded to complete a circuit of the airport traffic pattern. While in the traffic pattern, he saw a puff of white smoke, indicative of burned coolant, near the rudder pedals and he elected to perform a precautionary landing. On approach to the runway the pilot was above the glide path but he elected to continue the approach. During the landing flare the engine lost power completely, and the airplane continued to float about ¾ of the way down the runway before touching down. As the airplane approached the end of the runway the pilot elected to force a “ground loop” to prevent the airplane from exiting the runway and going into a river. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found substantial damage to the fuselage from impact with the river embankment. The FAA inspector also noted that there was residual coolant in the cowling. The pilot reported that there was also residual coolant around the radiator cap. The pilot speculated that the automotive, rotary engine’s rotor coolant seal may have been compromised, which allowed air from compression to enter the coolant system, and resulted in an over pressurization of this system and subsequent coolant expulsion through the radiator cap.
The pilot’s unstable approach which resulted in a landing with insufficient runway remaining to stop and subsequent impact with a river embankment. Contributing was the engine coolant system anomaly.
The pilot reported that after takeoff he climbed and proceeded to complete a circuit of the airport traffic pattern. While in the traffic pattern, he saw a puff of white smoke, indicative of burned coolant, near the rudder pedals and he elected to perform a precautionary landing. On approach to the runway the pilot was above the glide path but he elected to continue the approach. During the landing flare the engine lost power completely, and the airplane continued to float about ¾ of the way down the runway before touching down. As the airplane approached the end of the runway the pilot elected to force a “ground loop” to prevent the airplane from exiting the runway and going into a river. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found substantial damage to the fuselage from impact with the river embankment. The FAA inspector also noted that there was residual coolant in the cowling. The pilot reported that there was also residual coolant around the radiator cap. The pilot speculated that the automotive, rotary engine’s the rotor coolant seal may have been compromised, which allowing air from compression to enter the coolant system, and resulted in an over pressurization of this system and subsequent coolant expulsion through the radiator cap.