Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C N87424
14 January 1996 · Hurlock, Maryland, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 January 1996 at about 21:00 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C registered N87424 was involved in an accident near Hurlock, Maryland, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hurlock, Maryland, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.6193, -75.8707
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C
- Registration
- N87424
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Easton → Salisbury
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO96LA038
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
inadequate inspection by maintenance personnel which failed to detect a fatigue crack, and resulted in an in-flight crankshaft fracture and propeller assembly separation. A related factor was the deep snow encountered during the subsequent forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that the airplane was in cruise flight at 1,500 feet MSL when the propeller separated from the airplane. The pilot made an emergency landing in a snow covered field. Upon touchdown in 18-inch deep snow, the nose wheel collapsed. The separated propeller assembly and the attached forward portion of the crankshaft flange were located, and examined in the NTSB laboratory. Postaccident inspection of the crankshaft revealed a spiral crack that intersected the fracture at the bottom corner of a keyway. Further examination showed that the cracks were filled with a iron nitride white layer. Maintenance records indicated that the main journals and pins of the crankshaft were ground, nitrided, inspected, and returned for service, in October, 1994.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Aug 1996 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Cambridge, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1996 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Wausau, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 1996 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Page, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 1996 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-D | Amarillo, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1997 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Siler City, North Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1995 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-D | Belleville, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul 1996 | Piper PA-38-112 | Salisbury, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1996 | Quicksilver SPRINT | Mt Airy, Maryland, United States | John F Harrison | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 Jul 1996 | Cessna 172 | Frederick, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 1996 | Cessna 172 RG | Union Bridge, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-32-260 | Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 1996 | American AA-5 | Annapolis, Maryland, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |