NTSB Accident Dashboard Expands With Findings Data

On May 4, 2026, the National Transportation Safety Board announced a significant expansion of its U.S. Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard, integrating investigative findings data directly into the platform. The update consolidates publicly available accident analysis into a single tool and retires the standalone General Aviation Accident Dashboard that had been in service since 2023. FlySafe analysis shows this enhancement materially improves the accessibility of structured safety data for operators, researchers, and aviation safety professionals.

What Changed in the NTSB Dashboard

The core update centers on the addition of findings data — the causal and contributing factors identified through NTSB investigations — to the existing Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard. Previously, findings were available only through individual accident reports or the now-retired General Aviation Accident Dashboard.

According to the NTSB press release, the enhanced dashboard allows users to filter and visualize data across multiple dimensions:

• Year of occurrence
• Aircraft category
• Phase of flight
• Defining event
• Findings (causal and contributing factors)

Akbar Sultan, director of the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering, stated: "The integration of findings into the Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard gives users a more complete understanding of why accidents occur."

The updated dashboard is accessible through the Statistical Reviews section of the NTSB website.

Retirement of the General Aviation Accident Dashboard

The General Aviation Accident Dashboard, introduced on February 15, 2023, has been retired. Its functionality has been fully incorporated into the Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard.

The original GA-specific tool provided summary statistics, investigative findings, and safety recommendations for general aviation accidents spanning 2012 through 2021. It featured a tree-like menu structure based on the four-level hierarchy the NTSB uses to categorize its investigative findings, along with preset filters for commonly sought-after findings such as aircraft control, powerplant issues, and weather-related factors. Safety recommendations within that dataset could be filtered by year or addressee.

All of these capabilities now reside within the broader Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard, which covers a wider scope of operations beyond general aviation alone.

Why Findings Data Matters for Safety Analysis

The distinction between raw accident counts and structured findings data is substantial. Accident statistics tell analysts what happened — a runway excursion, a loss of control in flight, a controlled flight into terrain. Findings data tells analysts why it happened — inadequate preflight planning, spatial disorientation, fuel mismanagement, maintenance oversight.

This layered approach to data access enables several practical applications:

Trend identification. Filtering findings by year and aircraft category allows safety managers to identify whether specific causal factors are increasing or decreasing in prevalence across defined time periods.

Risk profiling by phase of flight. Combining phase-of-flight filters with findings data reveals which causal factors concentrate in specific operational phases — approach, landing, cruise, or maneuvering.

Safety recommendation tracking. Understanding which findings have generated formal safety recommendations, and to which organizations those recommendations were addressed, provides a measurable link between investigation outcomes and systemic change.

Fleet-specific analysis. Aircraft category filtering enables operators to isolate findings relevant to their specific fleet composition, whether rotorcraft, single-engine piston, multi-engine turbine, or other categories.

Implications for Aviation Safety Programs

For operators running Safety Management Systems, the enhanced dashboard serves as a supplementary data source for hazard identification. As noted in industry analysis of SMS data challenges, aviation safety data often resides in silos — maintenance, operations, and human resources systems rarely communicate seamlessly. The NTSB dashboard does not solve internal data integration challenges, but it does provide a standardized external reference point against which operators can benchmark their own safety observations.

The consolidation into a single dashboard also reduces fragmentation. Rather than consulting separate tools for general aviation versus other civil aviation segments, analysts now work within one interface. This is a practical improvement for safety professionals who routinely cross-reference data across aircraft categories.

Data Accessibility and Public Use

The NTSB has historically maintained one of the more accessible aviation safety databases globally. The agency's accident and incident data, covering decades of investigations, is publicly available and has been widely used in academic research, safety advocacy, and operational risk assessment.

The dashboard expansion continues this trajectory. By surfacing findings data in a filterable, visual format, the NTSB lowers the barrier to entry for users who may lack the technical capability to query raw datasets or parse individual investigation reports.

Airspace status: This update does not affect airspace restrictions or operational NOTAMs. It is a data access enhancement, not a regulatory action.

Recommendation: Aviation safety managers, flight departments, and training organizations should familiarize themselves with the updated dashboard interface and evaluate how findings data can supplement their existing hazard identification processes.

FlySafe Perspective

FlySafe monitors developments in aviation safety data infrastructure as part of its ongoing analysis of risk indicators across global airspace. The NTSB dashboard enhancement represents a meaningful improvement in how structured investigation data reaches end users. Based on publicly available NOTAMs and safety bulletins, this type of data transparency supports more informed operational decision-making across the aviation sector.

The integration of findings into a unified platform aligns with broader industry movement toward consolidated safety data systems. FlySafe analysis shows that operators and researchers who leverage structured findings data — rather than relying solely on aggregate accident counts — are better positioned to identify emerging risk patterns before they manifest in operational incidents.

Analysis based on publicly available data only.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can specific accident findings be searched and filtered on the new Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard?

The dashboard provides filter controls for year, aircraft category, phase of flight, defining event, and findings. Users can combine multiple filters simultaneously. The original General Aviation Accident Dashboard used a tree-like menu based on the NTSB's four-level findings hierarchy, and similar navigational structure is available in the consolidated tool through the Statistical Reviews section of the NTSB website.

Does the new dashboard include the same accidents that were in the retired General Aviation Accident Dashboard?

Yes. According to the NTSB, the General Aviation Accident Dashboard's functionality has been fully incorporated into the Civil Aviation Accident Dashboard. The original GA dashboard covered general aviation accidents from 2012 through 2021, and that data is now accessible within the broader platform alongside other civil aviation categories.

What causal and contributing factors are searchable in the findings data?

The NTSB categorizes findings using a four-level hierarchy that encompasses causal factors, contributing factors, and other findings identified during investigations. Preset filters exist for commonly analyzed categories such as aircraft control, powerplant-related findings, and weather factors. Users can also filter by safety recommendations, including by year of issuance and addressee organization.

Can NTSB accident findings be used as evidence in civil or criminal court cases?

NTSB findings and probable cause determinations are governed by specific legal frameworks regarding their admissibility. Under 49 U.S.C. § 1154, NTSB reports may be admitted as evidence in civil litigation, but the Board's determination of probable cause is not admissible. Legal counsel should be consulted for case-specific applicability.