# Accident 19961214039429A: Univar 415C, Amarillo, TX, December 14, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 14, 1996, 10:00 local time
- Place: Amarillo, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1394° N, 101.8807° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1394&lon=-101.8807&mi=10
- Aircraft: N87226, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N87226) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C (registry code 0420312, https://openairdocs.org/model/engineering-research-ercoupe-415-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C75 series (registry code 17005, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c75-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: UNIVAR 415C
- Reported engine: CONT C8512F
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 540 total, 18 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA063) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961214039429A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

REPORTED POWER LOSS EN ROUTE. SELECTED ROAD. TRAFFIC ON IT. DIVERTED ROUGH FIELD. CRASHED. ENGINE SWALLOWED A VALVE (-23) PILOT MADE FORCED LANDING IN ROUGH FIELD WITH MESQUITE TREES DUE TO ENGINE POWER LOSS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF EXHAUST VALVE ON #1 CYLINDER. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW97LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA063), Dec 14, 1996: Ercoupe 415-D (N87226), Amarillo, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the #1 exhaust valve, which resulted in loss of engine power and a forced landing on rough/uneven terrain. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for a forced…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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