Probable cause
The passenger's inadvertent application of the rear brakes during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.
NTSB analysis
According to the pilot, he was landing after a local flight with a passenger seated in the rear seat of the tail-wheel equipped airplane. During touchdown the airplane started to nose over, and the pilot realized that the passenger had his feet on the brakes. He yelled at the passenger to get his feet off the brakes, but it was too late to prevent the airplane from nosing over. The airplane flipped over inverted and came to a complete stop. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the vertical stabilizer was buckled. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA20CA279 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 7, 2020
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Modena, New York
- Nearest airport
- Old Orchard Airpark (2NK9)
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Amateur-built S18-160
- N-number
- N811RD
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2019
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.