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ERA10CA334

2010-06-26 · Gordonsville, Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KGVE

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control, and his excessive braking during the landing rollout.

Factual narrative

According to the student pilot, during the landing roll on runway 23, he overcompensated for a left crosswind and the tailwheel-equipped airplane departed the right side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he applied brake pressure “too forcefully,” and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and tail section. The student pilot further reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. He also reported 82 hours of total flight experience, 25 of which were in make and model. The winds reported around the time of the accident, about 8 miles northeast of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 4 knots. According to the student pilot, during the landing roll on runway 23, he overcompensated for a left crosswind and the tailwheel-equipped airplane departed the right side of the runway. The student pilot also stated that he applied brake pressure “too forcefully,” and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and tail section. The student pilot further reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. He also reported 82 hours of total flight experience, 25 of which were in make and model. The winds reported around the time of the accident, about 8 miles northeast of the accident site, were from 170 degrees at 4 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Braking capability-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Student pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_ERA10CA334.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.