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Plane noses over after passenger hits brakes accidentally

By NTSB · December 1, 2020 ·

The pilot was planning to perform an off-airport landing on the shore of a reservoir near Nephi, Utah, where he had successfully landed many times before.

After a 30-minute flight, he configured the PA-18 for landing on the shoreline. During touchdown, the passenger, who was positioned in the rear-seat, inadvertently applied the brakes.

Because of the brakes being depressed on touchdown, the airplane immediately nosed-over coming to rest inverted.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing strut.

The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause: The passenger’s inadvertent application of the brakes during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.

NTSB Identification: 100653

This December 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. John says

    December 2, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    it happens. Does anyone else recall the Reagan International Airport Steaman nose over a few years ago?
    I caught another passenger messing with my radios after having asked him to ASK (i.e. communicate!) BEFORE touching avionics or controls. That one was a self described check pilot for CAP – living proof that pilots can be our worst passengers. Yep, passengers are deadly… especially when we can’t see what they are doing. I had a right seater (a Forest Service aviation guy) plug a device into one of my electrical jacks a few years ago while on patrol that caused a short and (fortunately) blew a fuse. I thought I’d covered the bases in my pre-takeoff brief… But we can’t fix “stupid”.

  2. gbigs says

    December 2, 2020 at 6:32 am

    How does a rear seated passenger apply brakes?

    • Ken T says

      December 2, 2020 at 11:34 am

      Tandem seating. Controls front and back.

    • Dale L. Weir says

      December 2, 2020 at 11:59 am

      A simple google search on “PA-18” would have answered that question.
      And, yes a thorough passenger briefing is a really good idea.

  3. Ken T says

    December 2, 2020 at 6:09 am

    Passenger preflight! Do it!!

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