What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot monitoring: (instructor) right seat
I was teaching a friend, who is a private pilot, how to fly tail draggers. We flew approximately from 7-9 am then landed to take a break. Took off again around 9:30. After a few practice landings, we executed a normal landing and started slowing down to lower the tail and taxi. My friend kept applying brakes. As I noticed the tail beginning to elevate, I began saying let go of the brakes. As the tail continued going up, I continued saying it. She eventually applied too much pressure on the brakes and the plane flipped. We quickly exited the airplane and moved to the grass area of the runway.
Pilot flying: left seat
Saturday morning, may 30, 2026, I was going to learn how to fly the tail dragger at X51. My friend has his own plane and we went flying from 7-9AM, I did some maneuvers first to get a feel of the plane and then practiced landings on the grass runway. I felt comfortable after a few landings and then we took a break to later fly around 9:30. We went back up and practiced a landing on the pavement runway 36, we decided to go again and this time call it a full stop, I landed then applied brakes to slow down but I pressed too much brakes and flipped over. My friend turned off the masters and fuel to prevent any further damage and helped me by exiting the runway for safety.
Pilot flying used excessive braking in a tail wheel aircraft on landing roll, causing the aircraft to ground-loop on the runway.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT MONITORING: (INSTRUCTOR) RIGHT SEAT
I WAS TEACHING A FRIEND, WHO IS A PRIVATE PILOT, HOW TO FLY TAIL DRAGGERS. WE FLEW APPROXIMATELY FROM 7-9 AM THEN LANDED TO TAKE A BREAK. TOOK OFF AGAIN AROUND 9:30. AFTER A FEW PRACTICE LANDINGS, WE EXECUTED A NORMAL LANDING AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN TO LOWER THE TAIL AND TAXI. MY FRIEND KEPT APPLYING BRAKES. AS I NOTICED THE TAIL BEGINNING TO ELEVATE, I BEGAN SAYING LET GO OF THE BRAKES. AS THE TAIL CONTINUED GOING UP, I CONTINUED SAYING IT. SHE EVENTUALLY APPLIED TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES AND THE PLANE FLIPPED. WE QUICKLY EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND MOVED TO THE GRASS AREA OF THE RUNWAY.
PILOT FLYING: LEFT SEAT
SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 30, 2026, I WAS GOING TO LEARN HOW TO FLY THE TAIL DRAGGER AT X51. MY FRIEND HAS HIS OWN PLANE AND WE WENT FLYING FROM 7-9AM, I DID SOME MANEUVERS FIRST TO GET A FEEL OF THE PLANE AND THEN PRACTICED LANDINGS ON THE GRASS RUNWAY. I FELT COMFORTABLE AFTER A FEW LANDINGS AND THEN WE TOOK A BREAK TO LATER FLY AROUND 9:30. WE WENT BACK UP AND PRACTICED A LANDING ON THE PAVEMENT RUNWAY 36, WE DECIDED TO GO AGAIN AND THIS TIME CALL IT A FULL STOP, I LANDED THEN APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN BUT I PRESSED TOO MUCH BRAKES AND FLIPPED OVER. MY FRIEND TURNED OFF THE MASTERS AND FUEL TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE AND HELPED ME BY EXITING THE RUNWAY FOR SAFETY.
PILOT FLYING USED EXCESSIVE BRAKING IN A TAIL WHEEL AIRCRAFT ON LANDING ROLL, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO GROUND-LOOP ON THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.