Grumman G164 N5277 accident near Trenton, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land the airplane with a tailwind and his subsequent application of excessive braking, which resulted in a nose-over.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot reported that, following an agricultural application flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he chose to land toward the northwest on a private landing area. He reported that he made this decision based on power lines on the approach end and that landing in that direction precluded the option of a balked landing; however, photographs taken at the accident scene revealed that no power line crossed the extended runway centerline. The pilot made a three-point landing and applied the brakes; however, he noted no braking action. The pilot then released and reapplied the brakes, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. A witness reported that, as the airplane was landing, he saw smoke coming from the tires. Postaccident examination of the brakes revealed no mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.

A review of recorded wind information from nearby airports indicated that the airplane likely landed with up to a 9-knot tailwind. Although numerous tire skid marks were noted on the paved landing area, it could not be determined which, if any, of those marks were caused by the accident airplane. However, given the witness statement indicating that he saw smoke coming from the tires after landing and the airplane's subsequent nose-over, it is likely that the pilot applied excessive braking action. Therefore, it is likely that the airplane was landing with excessive speed due to the tailwind and that the pilot subsequently applied excessive braking to slow the airplane before reaching the end of the runway, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA15LA314 for the full record.