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WPR10CA101

2010-01-07 · Palm Springs, California, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KTRM

N2171C has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (EUROCOPTER AS 350 B3, built 2001), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper use of brakes during landing.

Factual narrative

The commercial pilot reported he was landing the tail wheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard-surfaced runway. He stated that during the landing roll out, as he was transitioning his feet from the bottom of the rudder pedals to the top, he applied too much brake pressure and the airplane nosed over. He further stated that he suffers from diabetic neuropathy and did not initially realize how much brake pressure he applied. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail assembly. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot does not possess a current FAA medical certificate. The commercial pilot reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard-surfaced runway. He stated that during the landing rollout, as he was transitioning his feet from the bottom of the rudder pedals to the top, he applied too much brake pressure and the airplane nosed over. He further stated that he suffers from diabetic neuropathy and did not initially realize how much brake pressure he applied. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the tail assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot does not possess a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Landing gear brakes system-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_WPR10CA101.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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