Aircraft buyer guide
How to check aircraft accident and incident history
Search NTSB records, verify which physical aircraft each event describes, and read the report’s date and investigation status. No matching record means only that no match was established in the searched coverage.
By Aerovidence · Reviewed
Use the NTSB record as the starting evidence
The NTSB publishes aviation investigation data and search tools. Its records cover investigated accidents and selected incidents; the available fields and historical formats vary. Read the actual event record rather than relying on a short search snippet.
- Search the current and documented former registration marks.
- Compare event date, aircraft manufacturer, model and serial evidence.
- Keep the NTSB identifier and link with your notes.
- Distinguish preliminary information from later factual and final material.
Official references: NTSB aviation data and statistics. Sources checked .
Separate three different questions
A useful review records the event and the remaining evidence gap separately.
| Question | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Does this event concern this aircraft? | Dated registration and serial evidence. |
| What happened? | The relevant NTSB record and report stage. |
| What was repaired afterward? | Aircraft maintenance records and an independent inspection. |
Do not transfer another airframe’s history
A registration mark can change. A same-mark event with conflicting serial or model evidence should not be attached to the current holder. Aerovidence retains different-airframe, conflict and unresolved states rather than turning every text match into aircraft history.
Official references: FAA N-Numbers. Sources checked .
Use a missing match to define the next question
Ask which sources and dates were searched, whether former marks are documented and whether identity could be resolved. Keep those limits beside the result when sharing it. Logbooks, repairs, foreign records and events outside the searched sources still need separate review; a public search cannot certify that damage never occurred.
Check the public records first
How Aerovidence handles evidence · Sources and coverage limits
Continue your research
N-number changes and reuse: matching the right aircraft
Understand why one N-number can appear on different aircraft records and use serial numbers, model evidence and dates to avoid a false history match.
Aircraft logbook review: questions for a prebuy
Prepare an aircraft logbook review with an independent mechanic: check identities, dates, continuity, repairs, component changes and missing evidence.
Aircraft prebuy records checklist
Organize aircraft identity, public events, maintenance logs, AD evidence and title questions before a pre-purchase inspection.