Amateur-built Hatz Classic accident near Frederick, Maryland, May 29, 2022
On May 29, 2022 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 2022 amateur-built Hatz Classic, registered N85EX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Frederick, Maryland (Frederick Muni 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 inadvertent application of the brakes 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 29, 2022 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Frederick, Maryland · Frederick Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Hatz Classic NO SERIES, built 2022
- Registration
- N85EX · registry record · serial 194
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was also the owner and builder of the tailwheel equipped biplane stated that the purpose of the flight was to perform a “final check” of the airplane’s engine and operating systems. The airplane performed “properly,” and he landed “without issue.” The pilot further stated that at low speed during the landing roll, his foot “became lodged between the bulkhead and the brake” which resulted in a sudden misapplication of the brakes and a nose over event, which fractured a wing strut and substantially damaged 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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Surface speed/braking › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 28,000 hours in all; 1.5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 15, 2022; 1.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotec R3800 (piston); 2 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,819 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 am from KFDK
Weather report (METAR): KFDK 291147Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 17/16 A3009
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 April 20, 2023. 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 A�� Pilot Regarding NTSB Form 6120 / Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Reports from State Agencies - Maryland State Police | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.