Luscombe 8 N45729 accident near Carbondale, Illinois

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent left heel brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a noseover.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust. He applied right rudder to counter the gust; however, his foot slipped off the right rudder pedal. To prevent a runway excursion to the left, the pilot attempted to use only the right heel brake to realign the airplane's heading; however, he inadvertently depressed both the left and right heel brakes, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and the rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA288 for the full record.