Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the tail rotor drive shaft cover, which resulted in the cover departing the helicopter in flight.
NTSB Accidents
Excessive braking ends in nose-over
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and her use of excessive braking during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
Pilot blames accident on his dog
Probable cause: The pilot’s inability to maintain the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane landing hard short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the cockpit canopy opening in flight.
RV-7 pilot stalls on landing
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Student bends helicopter
Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain yaw control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Landing gear collapses after porpoised landing
Probable cause: The student pilot’s improper approach and landing flare, which resulted in a porpoised landing.
Piper bent after pilot inadvertently lands in safety area
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent landing in snow adjacent to the snow-covered runway resulting in a collision with runway signs.
Airplane stalls on landing after ‘bottom fell out’
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the approach to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Confused pilot runs off end of runway, hits guard shack
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to follow ground control instructions and to see and avoid ground obstacles while taxiing.




