Research
The whole record, reshaped by a question.
Every count below is the Board's own coding across the cases in scope — findings, occurrences, phases, recommendations, the evidence held. Click any bar to make it the filter. No fleet-exposure data exists here, so these are cases, never rates.
AircraftAllBoeing / McDonnell DouglasAirbusEmbraerBombardier / De HavillandBellSikorskyRobinsonCessnaPiperBeechcraft
OccurrenceAllTurbulence encounterCollision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) Loss of control in flightGround collisionFire/smoke (non-impact)Cabin safety eventPowerplant sys/comp malf/failSys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)TailstrikeControlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)Air traffic eventRunway excursion
Showing 53 cases · 2012–2012
53
cases in this slice
8
fatal accidents
12
lives lost
43
with a probable cause
42
with coded findings
5
safety recommendations
The record over time
cases per year by cohort, and the lives lost — click a year to focus on itCases per year
Major investigationPart 121 airlinePart 135 fatal
Fatalities per year
Fatalities
Why accidents happen
42 coded casesthe Board's findings taxonomy — causal findings in the probable cause, contributing factors beside them; occurrences and the phase of flight the defining event sat inEnvironmental issues24 cases · 29 causal · 1 contributing
- Conditions/weather/phenomena — Turbulence, Ceiling/visibility/precip16
- Physical environment — Object/animal/substance4
- Task environment — Physical workspace3
- Operating environment — Airport facilities/design, Communication system2
Personnel issues22 cases · 32 causal · 3 contributing
- Action/decision — Action, Info processing/decision13
- Task performance — Use of equip/info, Communication (personnel)12
- Psychological — Perception/orientation/illusion, Attention/monitoring3
- Physical — 2
- Miscellaneous — (general)1
Aircraft16 cases · 25 causal · 2 contributing
- Aircraft systems — Hydraulic power system, Landing gear system6
- Aircraft oper/perf/capability — Performance/control parameters5
- Aircraft power plant — Engine (turbine/turboprop), Engine fuel and control4
- Aircraft handling/service — Maintenance/inspections2
- Fluids/misc hardware — Misc hardware1
- Aircraft propeller/rotor — Main rotor system1
- Aircraft structures — 1
Organizational issues10 cases · 12 causal · 2 contributing
- Management — Policy/procedure, Resources8
- Support/oversight/monitoring — Safety programs, Training3
- Development — Design2
Not determined1 cases · 1 causal · 0 contributing
- Not determined — (general)1
Solid = cited in the probable cause · outlined = contributing factor · hover a row for the most-cited specifics.
Occurrences coded
- Turbulence encounter · 13 defining14
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) · 5 defining6
- Miscellaneous/other · 3 defining4
- Loss of control in flight · 4 defining4
- Cabin safety event · 2 defining4
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) · 1 defining3
- Birdstrike · 2 defining2
- Uncontained engine failure · 2 defining2
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail · 1 defining2
- Landing gear collapse · 2 defining2
- Aircraft servicing event · 2 defining2
Phase of flight of the defining event
- Enroute21
- Approach7
- InitialClimb6
- Landing5
- Standing3
- Unknown3
- Taxi2
- Takeoff1
Aircraft and operators
by manufacturer family and operating rule — counts of cases, with no fleet-size denominator, so a busy family simply flies moreAircraft family
- Boeing / McDonnell Douglas · 1 fatal26
- Piper · 3 fatal3
- Other · 1 fatal3
- Bell · 2 fatal2
- Cessna · 1 fatal1
Operators with the most cases
- Delta Air Lines5
- Southwest Airlines5
- United Airlines5
- American Airlines3
- American Eagle Airlines3
- Federal Express2
- Ryan International Airlines2
- Us Airways2
- Aar Airlift · 3 lives1
- Air Excursions · 1 lives1
- Air Methods · 3 lives1
- Air Wisconsin1
What changed because of them
5 recommendations · 0 opensafety recommendations issued from these cases, by the NTSB's status of the response- Closed · acceptable 4
- Closed · superseded or reconsidered 1
Issued per year
Recommendations
Reiterated most often
None reiterated.
Evidence held
what the corpus can show for this slice, year by year — a docket, decoded flight data, a transcript, photographs, controller audioWhat the record says for this slice
a pattern, not a findingthe causal findings the Board cited most often across the 42 coded cases here- Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence · Environmental issues · 31%13 cases
- Action/decision › Action · Personnel issues · 24%10 cases
- Task performance › Use of equip/info · Personnel issues · 17%7 cases
- Action/decision › Info processing/decision · Personnel issues · 12%5 cases
- Management › Policy/procedure · Organizational issues · 12%5 cases
- Physical environment › Object/animal/substance · Environmental issues · 10%4 cases
- Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters · Aircraft · 10%4 cases
- Task environment › Physical workspace · Environmental issues · 7%3 cases
- Aircraft power plant › Engine (turbine/turboprop) · Aircraft · 7%3 cases
- Development › Design · Organizational issues · 5%2 cases
- Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections · Aircraft · 5%2 cases
- Task performance › Communication (personnel) · Personnel issues · 5%2 cases
The cases
53 of 53newest first — open any case for its recorders, transcript, photographs and analyst| Date | Case | Aircraft | Operator | Where | Outcome | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-12-31 | ENG13WA010 Part 121 airline | BOEING 777-222 | UNITED AIR LINES INC | Seoul, South Korea | — | no docket · open |
| 2012-12-29 | CEN13CA117 Part 121 airline | EMBRAER EMB-145LR | AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC | Chicago, IL | Serious injury | 2 docs |
| 2012-12-26 | DCA13CA035 Part 121 airline | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-11F | FEDERAL EXPRESS CORP | Memphis, TN | Minor injury | 9 docs |
| 2012-12-19 | WPR13FA072 Part 135 fatal | PIPER PA-31-350 | Ameriflight | Payson, AZ | Fatal · 1 | 60 docs |
| 2012-12-11 | CEN13FA096 Part 135 fatal | MBB BK 117 A-3 | Air Methods Corporation | Compton, IL | Fatal · 3 | 30 docs |
| 2012-12-05 | DCA13CA066 Part 121 airline | BOMBARDIER INC CL-600-2B19 | Air Wisconsin | New York, NY | No injury | 4 docs |
| 2012-11-18 | WPR13LA045 Part 135 fatal | PIPER PA-32 | Star Marianas Air, Inc | Obyan | Fatal · 1 | 54 docs |
| 2012-11-07 | ENG13IA005 Part 121 airline | BOEING MD-88 | DELTA AIR LINES INC | Atlanta, GA | No injury | 21 docs |
| 2012-11-06 | CEN13FA049 Part 135 fatal | CESSNA 208B | Baron Aviation Services, Incorporated | Wichita, KS | Fatal · 1 | 24 docs |
| 2012-10-17 | WPR13CA016 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-3H4 | Southwest Airlines | Las Vegas, NV | Serious injury | 1 docs |
| 2012-10-13 | DCA13WA002 Part 121 airline | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD11 | CENTURION AIR CARGO INC | Sao Paulo | No injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-10-05 | CEN13LA004 Part 121 airline | BOEING 717-200 | Southwest Airlines, Inc. | Milwaukee, WI | No injury | 6 docs |
| 2012-09-18 | DCA12CA149 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A330-323 | US AIRWAYS INC | Sophia, NC | Serious injury | 4 docs |
| 2012-09-14 | DCA12WA146 Part 121 airline | BOEING 767-332 | DELTA AIR LINES INC | Sao Paulo | No injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-09-09 | DCA12WA144 Part 121 airline | BOEING 747-47UF | ATLAS AIR INC | Melbourne | — | no docket · open |
| 2012-09-05 | DCA12IA141 Part 121 airline | DE HAVILLAND DHC8 | ERA AVIATION INC | Soldotna, AK | No injury | 34 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-08-27 | DCA12WA131 Part 121 airline | BOEING 767 | UNITED AIR LINES INC | London | No injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-08-08 | ANC12FA084 Part 135 fatal | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 600N | Aurora Aviation Services Inc. | Delta Junction, AK | Fatal · 1 | 8 docs |
| 2012-08-05 | ERA12LA498 Part 121 airline | EMBRAER S.A. ERJ 170-200 LR | REPUBLIC AIRLINES, INC. | Hilton Head, SC | Serious injury | 5 docs |
| 2012-08-02 | ANC12FA083 Part 135 fatal | PIPER PA-32-301 | AIR EXCURSIONS LLC | Hoonah, AK | Fatal · 1 | 10 docs |
| 2012-07-31 | CEN12IA502 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-924ER | UNITED AIR LINES INC | Denver, CO | No injury | 9 docs · recorder reports |
| 2012-07-27 | DCA12IA113 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-3H4 | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO | El Paso, TX | No injury | 19 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-07-19 | CEN12LA457 Part 121 airline | BOMBARDIER INC CL-600-2C10 | AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC | Peoria, IL | Serious injury | 1 docs |
| 2012-07-05 | DCA12WA109 Part 121 airline | BOEING 777-222 | UNITED AIR LINES INC | Narita | Serious injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-07-03 | DCA12WA102 Part 121 airline | BOEING 767-323 | Sao Paulo | — | no docket | |
| 2012-06-17 | DCA12IA096 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS A320 | JETBLUE AIRWAYS CORPORATION | Las Vegas, NV | No injury | 19 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-06-13 | DCA12LA091 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-724 | UNITED AIR LINES INC | Winnie, TX | Serious injury | 2 docs |
| 2012-06-11 | DCA12CA088 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A320-212 | DELTA AIR LINES INC | Minneapolis, MN | Serious injury | 1 docs |
| 2012-06-07 | DCA12CA086 Part 121 airline | BOEING 757 2B7 | American Airlines | Philadelphia, PA | Serious injury | 5 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-05-28 | CEN12FA321 Part 135 fatal | BELL 206-L4 | GM | Fatal · 1 | 16 docs | |
| 2012-05-11 | DCA12WA073 Part 121 airline | CONVAIR 440 | IFL GROUP INC | Ciudad de Guatemala | No injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-05-10 | DCA12FA069 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS A319-112 | FRONTIER AIRLINES INC | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Serious injury | 18 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-04-27 | OPS12IA535 Part 121 airline | Las Vegas, NV | — | 4 docs | ||
| 2012-04-15 | DCA12CA062 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319-132 | US AIRWAYS INC | Buena Vista, CO | Serious injury | 8 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-04-07 | DCA12FA058 Part 121 airline | BOMBARDIER INC DHC-8-402 | COLGAN AIR INC | Houston, TX | No injury | 14 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-04-04 | DCA12WA060 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737 | RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES INC | Lugano | Minor injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-03-20 | WPR12LA144 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-7H4 | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO | Laverne, OK | Serious injury | 7 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-03-13 | ENG12IA024 Part 121 airline | BEECH 1900D | Great Lakes Aviation | Hays, KS | — | no docket |
| 2012-03-03 | DCA12CA059 Part 121 airline | BOMBARDIER INC CL-600-2B19 | AIR WISCONSIN AIRLINES CORP | HARRISBURG, PA | Serious injury | 1 docs |
| 2012-02-26 | DCA12CA045 Part 121 airline | BOEING 767 | Delta Air Lines | Angers | Serious injury | 2 docs |
| 2012-02-24 | DCA12FA046 Part 121 airline | AIRBUS A321 | U.S Airways Inc., | Millville, NJ | Serious injury | no docket |
| 2012-02-23 | WPR12LA119 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-7H4 | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO | Pawnee, NE | Serious injury | 6 docs · FDR tables |
| 2012-02-19 | CEN12LA166 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737-832 | DELTA AIR LINES INC | Detroit, MI | Serious injury | 5 docs |
| 2012-02-17 | ENG12IA014 Part 121 airline | BEECH 1900D | Great Lakes Airlines | Denver International Airport, CO | — | no docket |
| 2012-02-16 | DCA12CA042 Part 121 airline | Embraer EMB120 | Arctic One Llc | Iliamna, AK | No injury | 1 docs |
| 2012-02-13 | ENG12IA012 Part 121 airline | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-10-30F | FEDERAL EXPRESS CORPORATION | Portland, OR | — | no docket |
| 2012-02-08 | ENG12IA010 Part 121 airline | BOEING 767 | American Airlines | Jamaica, NY | No injury | no docket |
| 2012-02-06 | DCA12WA034 Part 121 airline | BOEING 737 | RYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES INC | Brussels | No injury | no docket · open |
| 2012-02-04 | DCA12CA035 Part 121 airline | BOMBARDIER CL600 2B19 | SkyWest Airlines | San Francisco, CA | No injury | 2 docs |
| 2012-01-25 | OPS12IA303 Part 121 airline | EMBRAER EMB-145LR | AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES INC | Farmersville, TX | No injury | 2 docs |
| 2012-01-16 | DCA12FA024 Part 135 fatal | BELL 214 | AAR Airlift | Camp Bastion | Fatal · 3 | 25 docs · recorder reports |
| 2012-01-16 | ERA12LA147 Part 121 airline | BOEING DHC-8-102 | Piedmont Airlines Incorporated | Huntington, WV | No injury | 11 docs · recorder reports |
| 2012-01-14 | DCA12WA027 Part 121 airline | BOEING 777 | AMERICAN AIRLINES INC | Rio de Janeiro | No injury | no docket · open |