Waco QCF accident near Shirley, New York, May 3, 2020
On May 3, 2020 at about 7:50 pm local time, a 1931 Waco QCF, registered N11457, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Shirley, New York (Brookhaven airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2020 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Shirley, New York · Brookhaven · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Waco QCF No Series, built 1931 · all QCFs on the register
- Registration
- N11457 · no longer on the register · serial 3540
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a grass runway. After touchdown, the pilot applied light differential brake pressure to slow the airplane before exiting the runway; however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The rudder, vertical stabilizer, and upper wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 468 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 18, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 965.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 19, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6N (piston); 1,543 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 23N Bayport NY at 7:15 pm
- Destination: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24R, 2,126 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from KHWV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2020. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N11457 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.