Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B accident near Burgaw, North Carolina, April 14, 2011
On April 14, 2011 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B, registered N555XP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Burgaw, North Carolina (Stag Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent application of brakes during the landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2011 · about 10:15 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Burgaw, North Carolina · Stag Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B · all A-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N555XP · registry record · serial 2032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he normally flew the tailwheel-equipped airplane from the front seat, but on the day of the accident he flew it from the rear seat, and a passenger was in the front seat. As the airplane touched down, the pilot shifted in his seat to obtain a better view of the runway, and inadvertently applied the brakes. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing spar, left wing, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 560 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7NC1 Burgaw NC at 9:00 pm
- Destination: 7NC1 Burgaw NC
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 29, 4,000 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ILM, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 28, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N555XP on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1 Husky 897 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D 1,057 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Stag Air Park Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,123 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA250.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.