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19970315003109A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Univar 415D · Los Angeles, CA · March 15, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 15, 1997 · 14:48 local
Place
Los Angeles, CA
Airport
Whiteman Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3030H
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97FA123
Reported as
Univar 415D
Reported engine
AMTR O200
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
428 total
N3030HRegistration cancelled Jan 22, 1999 · Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-DS/N 3655Airframe modelEngineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-D

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Two wires without circuit protection shorted at firewall. Leaking fuel tank abouve wires provided fuel for fire. (.19) on March 15, 1997, at 1448 hours pacific standard time, an Ercoupe 415D, N3030H, operated by the pilot, was destroyed during an emergency landing approach at pacoima, California. The pilot received serious injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at 1444 from pacoima, and was destined for oakland, California. The ai rcraft departed from runway 12. According to the air traffic control tower, the pilot requested a downwind departure. When the aircraft was abeam of the tower north, the pilot stated "we've got an emergency, we need to land." The pilot was cleared to land on any runway. The tower personnel noticed black smoke trailing from the aircraft, and as the aircraft started to turn base leg for runway 12, it pitched over and crashed into a residential are northwest of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

TWO WIRES WITHOUT CIRCUIT PROTECTION SHORTED AT FIREWALL. LEAKING FUEL TANK ABOUVE WIRES PROVIDED FUEL FOR FIRE. (.19) ON MARCH 15, 1997, AT 1448 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN ERCOUPE 415D, N3030H, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING APPROACH AT PACOIMA, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER WAS FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 1444 FROM PACOIMA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.THE AI RCRAFT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 12. ACCORDING TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER, THE PILOT REQUESTED A DOWNWIND DEPARTURE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABEAM OF THE TOWER NORTH, THE PILOT STATED "WE'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY, WE NEED TO LAND." THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE TOWER PERSONNEL NOTICED BLACK SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO TURN BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 12, IT PITCHED OVER AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENTIAL ARE NORTHWEST OF THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX97FA123Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportPacoima, CAimproper maintenance/installation of electrical wiring, the lack of circuit protection, and subsequent in-flight electrical fire.Mar 15, 1997 · Destroyed