Ercoupe 415 N2368H
18 August 2010 · Leavenworth, Washington, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 18 August 2010 at about 17:15 local time, a Ercoupe 415 registered N2368H, operated by Steven Lewis, was involved in an accident near Leavenworth, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Leavenworth, Washington, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lake Wenatchee State (27W)
- Coordinates
- 47.8194, -120.7197
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415
- Registration
- N2368H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Steven Lewis
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Leavenworth → Auburn
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10LA411
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately evaluate the airport and its environment in relation to the aircraft’s performance, which resulted in the airplane's failure to attain sufficient altitude to clear trees during the initial climb.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he made a short-field takeoff with an approximate 5 mile-per-hour headwind. Shortly after liftoff, he realized that, even with the best angle of climb speed, the airplane would have difficulty clearing trees at the end of the runway. The pilot continued the climbout and turned the airplane slightly to the right and the airplane collided with the top 10 feet of trees surrounding the airport. The pilot stated that, in retrospect, he might have taken off downwind to the east where there was more room, used a different airport, or maintained a faster airspeed. A witness noted that the turf field appeared to be bumpy and the takeoff roll was longer than he expected. He did not have the impression that the airplane had engine issues or entered into a stall after becoming airborne. The pilot also reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Ercoupe 415 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2010 | Ercoupe 415-D | Napa, California, United States | Joshua Gray | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2010 | Ercoupe 415 | Whitehall, Montana, United States | Michael Harrison | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2011 | Ercoupe 415-C | Panacea, Florida, United States | Loumakis Kyriakos J | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2009 | Ercoupe 415-C | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | Smith Curtis S | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 2009 | Ercoupe 415 | Germantown, New York, United States | Jay D. Morriset | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 2009 | Ercoupe 415C | San Manuel, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2010 | Piper PA-15 | Duvall, Washington, United States | Petersen Rodger E | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 2010 | Tarantola Leonard RV-6A | Onalaska, Washington, United States | Decker Richard A | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2010 | Waco UKC-S | Seattle, Washington, United States | Kenneth D. Horwitz | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2010 | Mischke BD-5B | Burlington, Washington, United States | David Mischke | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 2010 | Schweizer G-164B | Prescott, Washington, United States | Blue Mountain Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2010 | Deitz AVID FLYER MK4 | Colville, Washington, United States | Harrell Hartman | Minor injuries | - |