Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C N87026

Summary

On 29 July 2007 at about 19:00 local time, a Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C registered N87026 was involved in an accident near Valkaria, 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

29 July 2007 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Valkaria, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Valkaria Airport (KX59)

Coordinates

27.9531, -80.5597

Aircraft

Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C

Registration

N87026

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

River Ranch → Valkaria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07CA128

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the flight was returning from a pleasure flight. He entered the traffic pattern for landing on runway 27; however, there was one airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 32. He was a little high on final approach and elected a go-around. He climbed to 800 feet and went to the shoreline, then reentered the traffic pattern for runway 27. The airplane was again high and when the flight was 1/2 way down the runway he performed a second go-around. This time he flew to the Indian River and returned for landing on runway 27. When the flight was over the numbers, he pulled aft on the yoke. He felt the airplane sinking when it was about 50 feet above the ground. He added full power, and about that time, the right wing stalled, the nose dropped, and right wing impacted the runway, followed by the nose. The airplane slid about 100 feet and was facing 90 degrees from the original flight path before it came to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane without assistance. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.