# Accident 19981031031179A: Univar 415C, Hartselle, AL, October 31, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 31, 1998, 13:30 local time
- Place: Hartselle, AL
- Airport: Rountree Field Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.4291° N, 86.9298° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4291&lon=-86.9298&mi=10
- Aircraft: N99924, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N99924) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ercoupe 415-D (registry code 0420326, https://openairdocs.org/model/ercoupe-415-d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental C85 series (registry code 17008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: UNIVAR 415C
- Reported engine: CONT C7512
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 609 total, 41 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA025) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981031031179A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON OCTOBER 31, 1998, ABOUT 1335 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A ERCOUPE 415-C, N99924, REGISTERED TO AN INDIVIDUAL, COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND CRASHED IN A FIELD WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT HARTSELLE, ALABAMA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FORM ROUNDTREE FIELD, HARTSELLE, ALABAMA, A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT MODIFICATION WORK HAD BEEN PREFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT.  HE WAS PERFORMING A TEST FLIGHT AND WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR A VISUAL APPROACH TO LAND.  THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND THEN CRASHED IN A FIELD. (.4) THE ENGINE LOST POWER AS THE PILOT TURNED ONTO THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR LANDING. AS THE PILOT APPROACHED A FIELD FOR LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND THEN THE GROUND. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED IT WAS OPERATING WITH AN EXCESSIVE RICH FUEL MIXTURE. THE CARBURETOR FLOAT  WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE FULL NEEDLE VALVE OPEN POSITION DUE TO EXCESSIVE SOLDER ON THE FLOAT FULCRUM CONTACTING THE BOWL WALL. THE CARBURETOR HAD BEEN RECENTLY MODIFIED BY INSTALLING A NEW STYLE NEEDLE VALVE, WHICH ALSO REQUIRED THE ADDITION OF WEIGHT TO THE FLOAT FULCRUM WITH SOLDER. (-23) PILOT WAS FLYING IN THE PATTERN DOWN WIND AT THE HARTSELLE AIRPORT FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. HE COMPLETED TWO TAKE OFF AND LANDINGS BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. HE CLIPPED THE POWER LINE AND MADE A HARD LANDING IN A FIELD OFF THE AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AREA, INCLUDING BUCKLING TO THE FUSELAGE SKIN. THE NOSE WHEEL FORK WAS BENT AND TWISTED AND THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING LINK WAS BROKEN. PILOT SUFFERED BACK INJURIES AND WAS RELEASED FROM THE HARTSELL EMERGENCY ROOM ON 10/31/98.

## 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 MIA99LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA025), Oct 31, 1998: Ercoupe 415-C (N99924), Hartselle, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: Improper modification of the carburetor float by maintenance personnel resulting in the float sticking in the full needle valve open position and failure of the engine due to excessive fuel flow.

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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