Accident Ercoupe 415CD N3871H,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 367557
 
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Date:Friday 29 December 1989
Time:11:00 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic ERCO model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Ercoupe 415CD
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N3871H
MSN: 4572
Engine model:CONTINENTAL C-75-12
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Lizton, IN -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Lizton, IN (NONE)
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF HE 'APPLIED FULL POWER, AIRPLANE TRAVELLED ACROSS THREE AREAS OF SNOW....FAILED TO OBTAIN FLYING SPEED...CONTACTED FENCE AND DITCH.' THE RUNWAY IN USE WAS A 1,550 FOOT LONG, SNOW-COVERED GRASS STRIP; THE PILOT STATED 'I KNEW BETTER, AND I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR BETTER RUNWAY CONDITIONS. I JUST SCREWED UP.' THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE HIS AIRCRAFT FROM HIS EX-WIFE'S PROPERTY BECAUSE HE WAS 'CONCERNED WITH DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT BY OTHER PARTIES....' THE COMMERCIALLY CERTIFICATED PILOT INDICATED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 1,600 HOURS, OF WHICH 1,500 HOURS WERE IN SINGLE-ENGINE AIRCRAFT. HE REPORTED THREE HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT, ALL WITHIN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS.

Probable Cause: SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS OF THE PILOT, TERRAIN CONDITION AND FENCE ON OR NEAR THE AIRSTRIP, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN AIRSPEED.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CHI90LA057
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 2 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB CHI90LA057

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
22-Mar-2024 16:00 ASN Update Bot Added

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