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ATL04CA102

2004-04-28 · Cedartown, Georgia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 4A4

Current FAA registration · N271T

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-105 SPECIAL
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19571112
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2ABDC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper use of brakes during landing roll which resulted in the airplane nosing over.

Factual narrative

On April 28, 2004 at 1800 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N271T, registered to and operated by Free Spirit Aviation, nosed over after landing at Cornelius-Moore Field, Cedartown, Georgia. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Fulton County Airport - Brown Field, Atlanta, Georgia, at 1730, on April 28, 2004. According to the pilot, after landing on the grass strip alongside runway 28, he applied the brakes. The tail of the airplane immediately lifted up and the pilot slid forward in the seat. While sliding forward, the pilot said he inadvertently put more pressure on the brakes as well as forward pressure on the elevator. The pilot reported he applied heavy braking and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that the propeller spinner was damaged, the right wing strut was bent , the rudder assembly was bent, and the windshield was also damaged. According to the pilot, after landing on the grass strip alongside runway 28, he applied the brakes. The tail of the airplane immediately lifted up and the pilot slid forward in the seat. While sliding forward, the pilot inadvertently put more pressure on the brakes as well as forward pressure on the elevator. The pilot reported he applied heavy braking and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed spinner damage, right wing strut bent, rudder bent and a nick in the propeller and damage to the wind screen. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2004_ATL04CA102.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.