Accident ERCO 415-D Ercoupe N415JC,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 318280
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Saturday 22 July 2023
Time:19:40
Type:Silhouette image of generic ERCO model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
ERCO 415-D Ercoupe
Owner/operator:1st Resources Unlimited Inc
Registration: N415JC
MSN: 3728
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:near Waupun Airport (WI07), Waupun, WI -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Cedar Rapids Eastern Iowa Airport, IA (CID/KCID)
Destination airport:Oshkosh-Wittman Field, WI (OSH/KOSH)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities
Narrative:
On July 22, 2023, about 1940 central daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-D, N415JC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Waupun, Wisconsin. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the pilot-rated passenger sustained no injuries. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.

According to the passenger, they had been en route for about 2 hours when the engine rpms decreased. The pilot immediately turned the carburetor heat on and cycled the engine throttle control. The engine would sputter and catch but then rpms would decrease again. The engine lost total power. The passenger stated that the sight gauge on the center (header) fuel tank indicated that the tank was empty.

The pilot performed a forced landing to a marsh. The airplane came to rest upright with substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage.

The flight had originated in Conroe, Texas, and they were en route to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The passenger stated that they stopped for fuel in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He stated that during the fueling the center (header) tank was full with 6 gallons of fuel, both main fuel tanks were full with 9 gallons of fuel each, and each auxiliary tank had 2 gallons of fuel added. They estimated that they had over 4 hours of fuel on board when they departed. This was the same fuel scheme they had used for their entire trip.

According to law enforcement, both main fuel tanks were empty on scene; however, there was a strong smell of fuel. The auxiliary fuel tanks were not checked. The passenger and one first responder reported chemical burns on their feet and legs after they stood in the marsh adjacent to the airplane. The left main fuel tank was compromised and the gascolator was impact damaged.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

Sources:

https://kfiz.com/emergency-crews-respond-to-plane-crash-in-southern-fond-du-lac-county/
https://fox11online.com/news/local/plane-headed-to-eaa-in-oshkosh-crashes-in-fond-du-lac-county#

NTSB

https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/5/90705_1667012046.jpg (photo)

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
23-Jul-2023 04:04 Geno Added
23-Jul-2023 10:37 hmmptwizzle Updated
23-Jul-2023 14:02 nhofmann54 Updated
23-Jul-2023 16:56 RobertMB Updated
03-Aug-2023 09:10 Captain Adam Updated

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org