# Accident 20020511016109A: Univar 415C, El Cajon, CA, May 11, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 11, 2002, 12:42 local time
- Place: El Cajon, CA
- Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.8000° N, 116.9500° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8000&lon=-116.9500&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2948H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2948H-2008-09-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Ercoupe 415-C (registry code 0420322, https://openairdocs.org/model/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
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX02FA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02FA157) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020511016109A

## Narrative

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

(-23) DURING TEST FLIGHT FOR ENGINE INSTALLATION AFTER BOTTOM END OVERHAUL, THE PILOT REPORTED ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND THEN ENGINE STOPPED. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH OBSTACLES AND THE GROUND ON A FREEWAY IN EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA, DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THE COLLISION SEQUENCE. THE PILOT/OWNER, THE SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM WAS EMPTY AT THE TIME OF MY ARRIVAL ON THE SCENE, BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT ENDED UP INVERTED, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD WASHED THE AREA DOWN TO AVOID POSSIBLE PROBLEMS.

## 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 LAX02FA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02FA157), May 11, 2002: Ercoupe 415C (N2948H), El Cajon, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: fuel starvation due to the mechanic's failure to properly tighten a fuel line fitting on the engine driven fuel pump, which led to a depletion of the fuel in the header tank. The mechanic's self…

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.