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20040505009259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Univar Ercoupeg · Colorado Sprin, CO · May 5, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 5, 2004 · 11:05 local
Place
Colorado Sprin, CO
Airport
Meadow Lake Airport
Phase of flight
Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N94405
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN04CA068
Reported as
Univar Ercoupeg
Reported engine
Continental C8512F
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
597 total434 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days
N94405Registration cancelled Apr 4, 2007 · Ercoupe GS/N 5037 · Built 1949Airframe modelErcoupe GEngine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Departed runway 15 Meadow Lake Airport, falcon Colorado, (00V), at 10:55 MDT for a local flight. Aircraft climbed out to 7,100 ft MSL and turned in an easterly direction. Aircraft proceeded approximately 2 mi. When the pilot noticed the climb rate to be near zero. The pilot turned the aircraft toward the airport. Pilot entered the traffic pattern at 300FT AGL for a left down wind for runway 15. Pilot experienced a sudden down draft of air turbulence which caused the aircraft to sink and roll to the left. The left wing fell off approximately 40 degrees. Pilot could not regain straight and level flight. Aircraft continued to descend in a left turn until the left wing contacted the ground. Aircraft skidded along the ground in a southerly direction while the fuselage spun to the left. In the course of the skid the aircraft entered a ditch where the nose gear and right main gear collapsed. The aircraft came to a stop heading north bound. VFR flight rules applied at the time of the flight, with weather conditions reported to be scattered clouds, winds to be westerly 6 to 8 knots.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DEPARTED RUNWAY 15 MEADOW LAKE AIRPORT, FALCON COLORADO, (00V), AT 10:55 MDT FOR A LOCAL FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT CLIMBED OUT TO 7,100 FT MSL AND TURNED IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED APPROXIMATELY 2 MI. WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE CLIMB RATE TO BE NEAR ZERO. THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD THE AIRPORT. PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT 300FT AGL FOR A LEFT DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 15. PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN DOWN DRAFT OF AIR TURBULENCE WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK AND ROLL TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING FELL OFF APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES. PILOT COULD NOT REGAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND IN A LEFT TURN UNTIL THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND. AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ALONG THE GROUND IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WHILE THE FUSELAGE SPUN TO THE LEFT. IN THE COURSE OF THE SKID THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A DITCH WHERE THE NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP HEADING NORTH BOUND. VFR FLIGHT RULES APPLIED AT THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT, WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS REPORTED TO BE SCATTERED CLOUDS, WINDS TO BE WESTERLY 6 TO 8 KNOTS.

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 DEN04CA068Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportFalcon, COthe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control. A contributing factor was the clear air turbulence encounter.May 5, 2004 · Destroyed