Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) ERCOUPE 415-C N2308H

Summary

On 29 June 1997 at about 17:45 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) ERCOUPE 415-C registered N2308H was involved in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 June 1997 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.1897, -97.1090

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) ERCOUPE 415-C

Registration

N2308H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pauls Valley → Roanoke

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA240

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power line. Factors were his improper decision to continue the flight after he noted a loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb and the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a forced landing following a loss of engine power, the airplane collided with a power line and then impacted the ground. The pilot reported that he noticed the engine was not producing full power during the initial takeoff climb; however, he elected to proceed on the cross country flight. The engine continued to lose power, and about 30 minutes after takeoff, the power available was no longer sufficient to maintain altitude. The pilot attempted to land in the median of an interstate highway and did not see the power line crossing the interstate. Examination of the airplane revealed that the mixture control arm on the carburetor was not hooked up to the cockpit control cable and was free to move. However, the mixture control system on this model carburetor does not incorporate an idle cutoff, and the pilot reported that prior to the accident, he had flown the airplane 58 hours with the mixture control inoperative. No other discrepancies were noted which would have resulted in a loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.