Ercoupe 415C N99083

Summary

On 20 May 2006 at about 16:58 local time, a Ercoupe 415C registered N99083, operated by James B. Stanley, was involved in an accident near Crossville, Tennessee, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 May 2006 at 16:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Crossville, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.9511, -85.0847

Aircraft

Ercoupe 415C

Registration

N99083

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James B. Stanley

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sparta → Crossville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL06CA082

1 person had minor injuries.

Inadequate maintenance inspection resulting in fuel system contamination going undetected resulting in a total loss of engine power while on final approach to land.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the engine lost power while on final approach for landing. An engine restart was unsuccessful and a forced landing was made straight ahead. The airplane collided with trees and the ground. Review of airplane log books revealed the airplane had flown for 1.1 hours since the last annual inspection. Examination of the airplane by the FAA revealed the left and right fuel tanks contained fuel. The header fuel tank was dry and exhibited signs of brown corrosion attributed to tank sealant. The gascolator was half fuel of fuel and was contaminated. The contamination was brown in color and appeared to be fuel tank sealant. The gascolator was disassembled. The brown substance dried and turned into a very sticky substance. The carburetor was broken off the intake manifold and the fuel line to the carburetor was broken off. The carburetor was disassembled and the fuel screen was clean with no evidence of fuel. The engine driven fuel pump was examined and no anomalies were noted. The fuel lines were examined and no blockage was present. The mechanic who performed the annual inspection stated that during the annual inspection that he noticed the gascolator was about three fourths full of a dark brown liquid that was clearly separate from the fuel which was on top of the liquid. The check list used by the mechanic indicates the gascolator screen and bowl were checked for safety. The FAA concluded the contamination in the fuel system reduced the fuel flow to the carburetor resulting in fuel starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.