What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1947 Ercoupe e acft made an off-arpt landing for unknown reasons and sustained substantial wing damage after the right main landing gear collapsed, other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on June 29, 1999, at 1257 hours pacific daylight time, an Ercoupe e, N3640H, experienced a loss of power and force landed in an open field at Winnemucca, Nevada. The aircraft, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot was not injured. The personal cross-country flight, conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, originated at the jackpot, Nevada, airport, at 1100, and was destined for Winnemucca with a final destination of reno, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was flying with a group of other pilots. He stated that about 13 miles from Winnemucca about 9,500 feet AGL, the engine began to sputter. About 2 to 3 minutes later, the engine quit. The pilot performed an emergency descent and landed in an open field. The right main gear collapsed causing substantial damage to the right wing. (.4)the pilot was flying about 6,500 feet AGL when his engine dropped to 500 RPM. He manipulated the primer and the engine RPM began to fluctuate. The engine then quit. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open field and collided with ground obstructions. The aircraft was examined following the accident. The fuel tanks were about half full. The carburetor was examined further. When the carburetor was flow tested, fuel was seen dripping from the discharge nozzle after the fuel was turned on, indicating that the float needle was not seating properly, which could cause the engine to run excessively rich. The float needle was not properly torqued in the bowl assembly. Further, small pieces of brass appeared to have exfoliated around the top of the needle-seating surface. The needle appeared to have been altered from its original configuration. No other mechanical problems were noted with the aircraft or engine.
As the FAA filed it
1947 ERCOUPE E ACFT MADE AN OFF-ARPT LANDING FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL WING DAMAGE AFTER THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON JUNE 29, 1999, AT 1257 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ERCOUPE E, N3640H, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND FORCE LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD AT WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, ORIGINATED AT THE JACKPOT, NEVADA, AIRPORT, AT 1100, AND WAS DESTINED FOR WINNEMUCCA WITH A FINAL DESTINATION OF RENO, NEVADA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FLYING WITH A GROUP OF OTHER PILOTS. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 13 MILES FROM WINNEMUCCA ABOUT 9,500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER. ABOUT 2 TO 3 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. (.4)THE PILOT WAS FLYING ABOUT 6,500 FEET AGL WHEN HIS ENGINE DROPPED TO 500 RPM. HE MANIPULATED THE PRIMER AND THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE. THE ENGINE THEN QUIT. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD AND COLLIDED WITH GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT. THE FUEL TANKS WERE ABOUT HALF FULL. THE CARBURETOR WAS EXAMINED FURTHER. WHEN THE CARBURETOR WAS FLOW TESTED, FUEL WAS SEEN DRIPPING FROM THE DISCHARGE NOZZLE AFTER THE FUEL WAS TURNED ON, INDICATING THAT THE FLOAT NEEDLE WAS NOT SEATING PROPERLY, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RUN EXCESSIVELY RICH. THE FLOAT NEEDLE WAS NOT PROPERLY TORQUED IN THE BOWL ASSEMBLY. FURTHER, SMALL PIECES OF BRASS APPEARED TO HAVE EXFOLIATED AROUND THE TOP OF THE NEEDLE-SEATING SURFACE. THE NEEDLE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN ALTERED FROM ITS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION. NO OTHER MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE NOTED WITH THE AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.