Casualties unknown

Nosed-over accident involving tailwheel aircraft during landing roll (N9641)

Anacortes, WA, US

On September 23, 2002, a Stinson 108-3 (registration N9641) operated by Micro Aerodynamics was involved in an aviation accident near Anacortes, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's premature application of brakes during the landing roll, which caused the propeller to strike the runway and the airplane to nose over. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A tailwheel airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on the runway after the pilot applied brakes prematurely before the main gear was fully settled.

What happened

The pilot reported that during the landing roll, he tapped the brakes before the tail wheel contacted the runway surface and the airplane nosed down. The propeller struck the runway surface and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted on the runway. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft at the time of the accident.

The investigation

The investigation revealed that the premature application of brakes during the landing roll caused the aircraft to pitch forward excessively. This action resulted in the propeller striking the runway surface and the subsequent nosing over of the airplane. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were reported by the pilot at the time of the accident.

Findings

Contributing factors included the premature application of brakes before the tail wheel contacted the runway surface, which led to the propeller striking the runway and the airplane nosing over. The lack of mechanical failures or malfunctions suggests that the accident was primarily due to pilot error in brake application timing.

Probable cause

The pilot's premature application of brakes during the landing roll, which caused the propeller to strike the runway and the airplane to nose over.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20021003X05270. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.