Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C N3233H

Summary

On 23 September 2006 at about 14:15 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C registered N3233H was involved in an accident near Trenton, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

23 September 2006 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Trenton, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.6922, -82.7292

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C

Registration

N3233H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Trenton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA06LA188

2 people had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power just after takeoff due to water contamination of the auto fuel added to the aircraft fuel system just prior to the flight. Factors include the pilot's inadequate preflight, no suitable landing area near the departure end of the runway, and trees along the flight path between the point where the aircraft lost power and the open field the pilot was trying to reach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff, when the airplane was about 20 feet above the ground, the engine surged between full power and almost no power. The airplane began to descend and the pilot attempted to maneuver toward an open field. However, before reaching the field one of the airplane's wings collided with a tree and the airplane cartwheeled into the terrain. A post-accident engine run and inspection found no failures or anomalies, but it was later determined that the pilot had introduced water-contaminated auto fuel into the aircraft's fuel system immediately prior to the flight. Although the airplane had an approved Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to allow it to be run on auto fuel, the pilot did not rock the wings or allow any time for any water introduced along with the auto fuel to flow through the system to the low point before draining fuel from the low point sump. The water contamination in the auto fuel made its way through the system during taxi for takeoff, and eventually reached the carburetor just after the airplane lifted off.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.