Skip to content

WPR20CA036

2019-12-03 · Nephi, Utah, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport U14

N864SC has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (JUST AIRCRAFT LLC HIGHLANDER, built 2022), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The passenger’s inadvertent application of the brakes during landing, which resulted in a nose-over.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that he was planning to perform an off-airport landing on the shore of a reservoir where he had successfully landed many times before. After an approximate 30-minute flight, the pilot configured the airplane for landing on the shoreline. During touchdown, the passenger, who was positioned in the rear-seat, inadvertently applied the brakes. Because of the brakes being depressed on touchdown, the airplane immediately nosed-over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he was planning to perform an off-airport landing on the shore of a reservoir where he had successfully landed many times before. After about a 30-minute flight, the pilot configured the airplane for landing on the shoreline. During touchdown, the passenger, who was in the rear seat, inadvertently applied the brakes. Because the brakes were applied on touchdown, the airplane immediately nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Brake-Unintentional use/operation - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Surface speed/braking-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Passenger - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2019_WPR20CA036.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.