# Accident 19990704017259A: Univar 415CD, Jacksonville, IL, July 4, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 4, 1999, 09:23 local time - Place: Jacksonville, IL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.7202° N, 90.2303° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7202&lon=-90.2303&mi=10 - Aircraft: N127G, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N127G) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Ercoupe 415-CD (registry code 0420324, https://openairdocs.org/model/ercoupe-415-cd) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental C90 series (registry code 17009, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: UNIVAR 415CD - Reported engine: CONT C9012F - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 390 total, 285 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA210) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990704017259A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 1200 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ERCOUPE 415-CD, N127G, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT AT TIME UNKNOWN, WITH THE STATED DESTINATION OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 2,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE ENCOUNTERED A SUSTAINED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. HE SAID THAT HE CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING IN A CORNFIELD, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23)RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE MECHANIC WHO IS REPAIRING THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUEL LINE FROM THE CENTER TANK GRAVITY FEEDS DIRECTLY TO THE GASCOLATOR THAT IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE CARBUREOTR. THERE IS A AN FITTING ON THE GASCOLATOR TO WHICH THIS FUEL LINE CONNECTS. THE MECHANICS FOUND THIS FITTING PLUGGED WITH RESIDUE FROM THE CENTER FUEL TANK WHICH RESULT ED IN FUEL STARVATION TO THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CENTER FUEL TANK APPEARS TO CONTAMINATED WITH AN UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE. MECHANIC SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE OLD SLOTHING COMPOUND THAT NEVER PROPERLY SET UP. THE FUEL TANK IS TO BE REMOVED, CLEANED, AND REINSTALLED. (.4) ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 0923 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AN ERCOUPE 415-CD, N127G, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT AT 0912, WITH THE STATED DESTINATION OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 2,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN THE ENGINE ENCOUNTERED A LOSS OF POWER. HE SAID THAT HE CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING IN A CORNFIELD, AT WHICH TIME THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT FOUND MATERIAL IN THE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE HEADER TANK AND GASCOLATOR BLOCKING THE FLOW OF FUEL. THE MATERIAL W AS THE CONSISTENCY OF SLOSHING COMPOUND ALSO FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK. NO RECORD COULD BE FOUND INDICATING WHEN THE TANK WAS SEALED WITH SLOSHING COMPOUND. THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED ON OCTOBER 19, 1998. THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED 32 HOURS TIME IN SERVICE SINCE THAT INSPECTION. ## 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 CHI99LA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA210), Jul 4, 1999: Ercoupe 415-CD (N127G), Jacksonville, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A material defect in the sloshing compound. Factors were the blocked fuel system, inspection not identifying material defect, and the crop field. ## Other reports on N127G (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20110130001849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110130001849A), Jan 30, 2011: Ercoupe 415-CD (N127G), Hess Lake, MI, Substantial damage. Pilot stated that he was at a local fly - in on a frozen lake ( Hess Lake)that had a snow plowed runway. While taking off his left wing tip contacted a… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.