Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C N41886

Summary

On 24 May 1988 at about 00:27 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C registered N41886, operated by Bennie J. Ward, was involved in an accident near Whiteville, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 May 1988 at 00:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Whiteville, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.3203, -78.6997

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C

Registration

N41886

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bennie J. Ward

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ocean Isle Bch → Whiteville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL88LA183

1 person had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE STUDENT PLT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SKIP AND LOSE PWR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. THE ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST ALL PWR AND THE STUDENT MADE A FORCED LDG IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING THE LDG. POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF ABOUT 2 OZ OF WATER IN THE FUEL STRAINER. IN ADDITION, BITS OF METAL WERE FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR IN THE MAIN METERING JET PASSAGEWAY. THE SOURCE OF THE METAL BITS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE METAL BITS WERE TOO LARGE TOO HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE FUEL STRAINER OR THE CARB FILTER SCREEN. THE AIRPLANE WAS FUELED W/ AUTO GAS WHICH WAS OBTAINED AT THE DEPARTURE ARPT. THE USE OF AUTOGAS IN THE AIRPLANE WAS STC-APPROVED. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OPERATED APPROX 123 HRS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, 7 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.