ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295119
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| Date: | Thursday 9 October 2003 |
| Time: | 18:45 LT |
| Type: |  ERCO 415-D Ercoupe |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3848H |
| MSN: | 4549 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1750 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental C-90-12F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Harvard, Illinois -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chicago-Executive Airport, IL (PWK/KPWK) |
| Harvard, IL (KPVT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane contacted a corn crop while attempting to land on an unlit grass airstrip at night. The pilot stated that he was making a low approach over the unlit airstrip to determine if he was able to see it well enough to land. He stated that if he was unable to see well enough, he had planned to fly to a nearby airport. He stated the field elevation at the airstrip is 1,000 feet and he set his altimeter after listening to the Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS) of a airport which was approximately 28 statue miles away. He stated that once on final approach, he was able to see the lights from the open hangar at the far end of the airstrip. He reported he descended in the general direction of the runway threshold using a flashlight in the cockpit to view the altimeter. The pilot reported he was next aware of the sound of corn stalks hitting the airplane. The airplane then impacted the ground and turned to the right with the nose gear collapsing. The airplane contacted the corn stalks approximately two-tenths of a mile from the end of the runway. The pilot reported, "I would say I failed to monitor the rate of sink for the fly-by/approach and the situation was due to pilot error."
Probable Cause: The pilot misjudged his altitude and distance from the approach end of the airstrip, along with his decision to land at an unlit airstrip at night. Factors involved in the accident were the the night lighting conditions, the unlit airstrip, and the corn crop which the airplane contacted.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI04LA008
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2022 18:13 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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