Methodology, sources & coverage

TailLookup compiles a public history record for each US-registered aircraft from federal open data. Every fact traces to a government source and a snapshot date. We do not fabricate, interpolate, or infer.

Data sources

• FAA Aircraft Registry (registry.faa.gov) — the Releasable Aircraft Database (MASTER, DEREG, ACFTREF, ENGINE). Published daily.
• NTSB Aviation Accident Database (data.ntsb.gov / CAROL) — civil aviation accidents and selected incidents, 1962 to present.

Daily snapshots

The FAA overwrites its registry file daily and keeps no history. We archive the raw file every day and record its checksum, building a historical record of registration changes — ownership transfers, address changes, deregistrations — that cannot be reconstructed after the fact. Each record page carries an “as of” date reflecting the snapshot it was built from.

An airframe is not a tail number

A registration number (N-number) can be reassigned to unrelated aircraft over decades. We model each physical airframe separately (by serial number and make/model) and track which tail numbers it has carried. On a record page, the “Registration timeline” covers the current airframe only; any earlier, unrelated aircraft that held the same N-number are listed separately under “Earlier aircraft on this N-number.”

Coverage

• 314,477 aircraft currently on the FAA register.
• 697,013 distinct airframes ever recorded (current registrations plus deregistered aircraft in the historical file).
• 31,333 NTSB accident records.
• 24,491 tail numbers have one or more NTSB accident records — these are prioritized in our sitemap. Every currently-registered aircraft has a page, whether or not it has an accident on file.

Limitations

These records are compiled from public FAA and NTSB data, which may be incomplete, delayed, or contain errors. They do not include maintenance logbooks, airframe or engine times, title or lien searches, or damage never reported to a federal agency. A TailLookup record is not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection by a qualified mechanic and a title search.

Corrections & removal

To report an error or request removal of personal information, see our corrections & removal policy.