Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD N3989H

Summary

On 15 September 2002 at about 13:15 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD registered N3989H was involved in an accident near Effingham, Illinois, 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.

Date

15 September 2002 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Effingham, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Dummy (1H2)

Coordinates

39.1103, -88.5502

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD

Registration

N3989H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Effingham → Santa Monica

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI02LA281

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power due to the seized exhaust valve. A factor was the soft field.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained substantial damage when it had a loss of engine power after takeoff and nosed over during a forced landing to a cornfield. The pilot reported that the preflight, engine start, and taxi were normal. He reported the airplane climbed to about 300 feet agl when it started to lose power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a cornfield. A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that an engine exhaust valve was stuck in the open position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.