Aviation Newsroom

Press Briefings Are Held On Scene In The Days Immediately Following The Accident

Detailed narrative reports which contain the facts, conditions, circumstances, analysis, conclusions and probable cause of major aviation, railroad, highway, pipeline and marine accident investigations are published for all accidents which resulted in a major investigation. For a major accident investigation (which includes a team of specialists), press briefings are held on scene in the days immediately following the accident. A public docket containing factual information about the accident is available approximately six months after the accident. Usually within a year, the Board Members will review a draft of a major accident report in a public meeting at Safety Board headquarters in Washington, D.C. Soon after the meeting, the Board's Public Affairs Office issues an abstract containing the Board's conclusions, probable cause statement, and safety recommendations from the accident report; the final report of a major accident is subsequently printed for public distribution.

Major accident reports are issued irregularly. All major accident reports since 1996 are on the NTSB web site under Publications and on CD-ROM (available from the Public Inquiries Branch while supplies last). Reports are also available, for a fee, from NTIS by annual subscription or by single issue. When ordering annual subscriptions, specify the transportation mode and the type of publication (i.e., Aviation Accident Report). When ordering single issues, specify the exact title of the document, the NTSB report number or the NTIS accession number.

2. Accident Briefs (Non-major Accident Reports)

Reports of accidents in brief or summary format are issued for all aviation accidents and for all non-major railroad, highway, pipeline and marine accidents investigated by or for the NTSB, for which probable cause is determined. The final reports are generally issued about a year after the accident in a "brief of accident" format; a public docket containing factual information is also available.

Brief reports for surface transportation accidents since 1998 are available on the NTSB web site under Publications; synopses of aviation accident briefs since 1983 are available from the aviation accident database. Copies of briefs are also available through the Public Inquiries Branch and the NTSB contractor - see Contacts & Information Sources. When ordering individual accident reports, specify the type of document, the transportation mode and the date and location of the accident.

Annual Report to Congress

The Annual Report to the United States Congress details the major activities of the NTSB aviation, railroad, highway, pipeline and marine safety during the previous calendar year. The biennial additions also include an appraisal, evaluation and review and recommendations for legislative and administrative action and change, with respect to transportation safety.
The report is issued annually. Annual Reports from 1996 and later are on the NTSB web site under Publications. They are also available, free of charge, upon request from the NTSB Public Inquiries Branch. See Contacts & Information Sources for details on obtaining these items.

Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data -- U.S. Air Carrier Operations

The Annual Review of Aircraft Accident Data contains statistical tabulations and graphs of data compiled from reports of accidents involving revenue operations of U.S. air carriers in a particular calendar year. The report is divided into sections according to the Part of the Code of Federal Regulations under which the aircraft were flown when the accidents occurred (14 CFR Part 121 or 14 CFR Part 135). The Part 135 section is further divided into scheduled (commuter air carrier) and nonscheduled (on-demand air taxi) operations. Information provided within each section includes a list of accidents, accident causes and related factors and accident rates. Comparisons are made of data for the given year to averages of accident data for several prior years.
The publication is issued annually, and is available on the NTSB web site under Publications. It may also be obtained, for a fee, from NTIS. When ordering the publication, specify the exact title of the document, the NTSB report number or the NTIS accession number. See Contacts & Information Sources for details on obtaining this item.