# Accident 20040619023979A: Mncoup 90AL115, Stcharlescounty, MO, June 19, 2004 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 19, 2004, 18:07 local time - Place: Stcharlescounty, MO - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Descent - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.8744° N, 90.6672° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8744&lon=-90.6672&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1161, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1161-2018-02-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Monocoupe 90AL-115 (registry code 5810110, https://openairdocs.org/model/monocoupe-90al-115) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Warner SS185 series (registry code 64505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/warner-ss185-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MNCOUP 90AL115 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI04LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA158) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040619023979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) ON JUNE 19, 2004 AT 90AK-115 MONOCOUPE (CLIP-WING), U.S. REGISTRATION NUMBER N1161, OPERATING UNDER A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION CATEGORY, DEPARTED CREVE COEUR AIRPORT (1HO), AT 17:55 WITH TWO INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS (SET) FOR JUNE 19, 2004 AT 17:54 WINDS OUT OF 010 AT 6 KNOTS, CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURE 72 DEGREES F, DEW POINT 54 DEGREES F, RELATIVE HUMIDITY 55%, STATION PRESSURE 29.72. ON JUNE 20, 2004, WRECKAGE WAS SIGHTED IN A FIELD LOCATED 38N 52' 17" AND 90W 39'37" APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NE OF O'FALLON, MISSOURI, BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. N1161 IS REGISTERED TO, AND WAS PILOTED BY EWELL HARVEY DAKE, HOLDER OF PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 1826495, MR. DAKE HELD A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DATED 10/01/2003. THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED, HOLDER OF PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 1843860, ^PRIVACY ^ HELD A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE DATED 11/11/2002.AIRCRAFT DESCRIPTION: N1161, SERIAL NUMBER 862, IS A 1948 CLIP-WING MONOCOUPE, CONSISTING OF A TUBULAR FRAME, WOOD WIND SPARS AND RIBS AND FABRIC COVERING. THE AIRCRAFT DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. HAND PROPPING IS REQUIRED FOR ENGINE START. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A WARNER 185 HORSEPOWER, 7 CYLINDER RADIAL ENGINE, AND AEROMATIC UNIVAIR TWO BLADED WOODEN PROPELLER WITH STEEL HUB AND COUNTERWEIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A TRANSPONDER OR ELT. A RADIO WAS FOUND IN THE DEBRIS FIELD BUT OPERATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO DAMAGE. ACCIDENT SCENE NARRATIVE: WRECKAGE OF N1161 IS IN A FIELD LOCATED 38N 52'17" AND 90W 39'37" APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NE OF O'FALLON, MISSOURI. CONDITION OF THE FIELD IS EXTREMELY WET AND MUDDY CLAY. A BEARING WAS TAKEN WITH A COMPASS TO DETERMINE THE ACCIDENT PATH TO BE 150 DEGREES; THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH FAA ATC PRIMARY RADAR TRACKING. ALL DISTANCE MEASUREMENTS OF THE DEBRIS FIELD WERE TAKEN FROM THE EDGE OF THE FIRST GROUND DISTURBANCE AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE DEBRIS FIELD IS APPROXIMATELY 280 FEET LONG. THE WRECKAGE WAS APPROACHED FROM THE EAST FROM PEROQUE CREEK ROAD. INSPECTORS FROM THE STL FSDO ON SCENE: (IIC) ROBERT LINENWEBER (OPERATIONS), JEFF CIEMBRONOWICZ (AIRWORTHINESS). THE POINT OF IMPACT SHOWS A DISTINCTIVE AIRCRAFT SHAPE, WITH THE LEFT WING IMPACT, PARALLEL TO A 150 DEGREE PATH, THE LEFT WING PITOT PROBE AND A SIGNIFICANT LENGTH OF TUBING WAS FOUND UNDER SEVERAL INCHES OF MUD CONFIRMING WHERE THE LEFT WING STRUCK. UPON INSPECTION OF THE POINT OF IMPACT, ONE PROPELLER TIP WAS LOCATED 1 FOOT OUTSIDE THE IMPACT CRATER AND APPROXIMATELY CENTERED. THE OTHER PROPELLER TIP WAS FOUND IN A PROPELLER STRIKE SLICE IN THE MUD, APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE, THE PROPELLER THRUST LINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 195 DEGREES AS DETERMINED BY THE ANGLE OF THE PROPELLER STRIKE. AS WE WALKED THE DEBRIS PATH THE LEFT WING TIP WAS FOUND AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AND LEFT OF PATH. AT 60 FEET THE RIGHT WING TIP WAS FOUND RIGHT OF THE PATH. THE LEFT AILERON WAS FOUND 70 FEET FROM IMPACT AND LEFT OF PATH. THE LEFT WHEEL PANT WAS FOUND 80 FEET FROM IMPACT AND LEFT OF PATH. THE RIGHT WING WAS DESTROYED AND FOUND IN A PYRAMID STRUCTURE APPROXIMATELY 95 FEET FROM IMPACT AND RIGHT OF PATH. AT APPROXIMATELY 115 FEET THE ENGINE SECOND GROUND IMPACT AFTER LEAVING THE AIRFRAME WAS RIGHT OF PATH. AT 125 FEET THE VERTICAL STABILIZER MADE A PRONOUNCED MARK IN THE MUD AND FOLLOWED A 150 DEGREE PATH INVERTED. AT 150 FEET THE THIRD ENGINE IMPACT WAS FOUND RIGHT OF PATH. AT 160 FEET THE RIGHT WHEEL PANT WAS FOUND LEFT OF PATH. AT 165 FEET THE ENGINE COWL WAS FOUND RIGHT OF PATH. AT 169 FEET THE ENGINE AND OIL TANK CAME TO REST RIGHT OF PATH. AT 175 FEET THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND LEFT OF PATH ATTACHED TO THE LEFT WING STRUT, INSTRUMENT PANEL AND FORWARD FLOOR STRUCTURE. AT 180 FEET THE FUSELAGE WAS FOUND INVERTED WITH THE EMPENNAGE AND FUSELAGE INTACT, THE NOSE STRUCTURE HOWEVER WAS BENT DOWN, AFT AND TO THE RIGHT. AT 195 AND 210 FEET BOTH WING FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND LEFT OF PATH. AT 280 FEET THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND LEFT OF PATH. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION NO EVIDENCE OF POST CRASH FIRE WAS DETECTED ON ENGINE OR FIREWALL. INSPECTION OF BOTH FUEL TANKS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY OF FUEL IN BOTH TANKS. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE COULD NOT BE LOCATED. INSPECTION OF THE 7 CYLINDER WARNER 185HP RADIAL ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT DID ROTATE BY HAND. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE ATTACHED TO THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE INSTALLED ALTHOUGH THE IGNITION HARNESS HAD TORN LOOSE FROM IMPACT. THE ENGINE DATA PLATE WAS MISSING. THE OIL TANK WAS LOCATED NEAR THE ENGINE AND A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY OF OIL HADDRAINED INTO A RUT. THE PROPELLER IS A TWO-PIECE AEROMATIC WOOD PROPELLER, WITH STEEL HUB. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER SHOWED THAT APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF THE NUMBER ONE BLADE WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE HUB BY THE LAG SCREWS. THE NUMBER TWO BLADE WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE ROOT AND 3/4 OF THE BLADE WAS NEVER RECOVERED. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT BOTH BLADE TIPS (14 INCHES) WERE FOUND NEAR THE POINT OF IMPACT (#1 BLADE TIP) AND SUBSURFACE AT THE POINT OF IMPACT (#2 BLADE TIP). THE DATA PLATE LOCATED ON THE PROPELLER BARREL WAS MISSING. FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE ESTABLISHED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED; THE RUDDER PEDALS AND CONTROL STICKS CAME TO REST BEHIND THE FUSELAGE. THE RUDDER AND ELEVATORS HAD CABLE MOVEMENT IN NOSE SECTION. AILERON CABLES WERE FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE AND WERE ATTACHED AT THE CONTROL STICKS, THE WINGS HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT, CABLES WERE NO LONGER ATTACHED. INSTRUMENTS WERE EJECTED FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL; POSITION OF THE THROTTLE WAS FULL AFT. THE CYLINDER TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS FOUND, THE NEEDLE READ ZERO AND THE ANALOG DIGITS READ 600. THE CLOCK WAS FOUND STOPPED AT 06:32:36. THE ALTIMETER WAS FOUND READING 410 FEET AND THE KOLLSMAN WINDOW SETTING WAS 29.78. THE TURN AND SLIP INDICATOR WAS FOUND DAMAGED, BALL CAPSULE WAS BROKEN. THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR WAS FOUND READING 250 MPH. THE G-METER WAS FOUND NEXT TO THE FUSELAGE, IT WAS READING 13 G-UNITS. NUMEROUS REQUESTS FOR THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE MADE. FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THESE RECORDS. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE HISTORY, INCLUDING COMPLETION DATE OF THE LAST CONDITION INSPECTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. A COMPACT DISC OF ALL RECORDS HELD BY THE FAA IN OKLAHOMA CITY WAS REQUESTED. SINCE N1161 WAS CERTIFICATED IN THE EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION CLASSIFICATION, A CHECK OF FSDO RECORDS FOR A PROGRAM LETTER WAS UNDERTAKEN. AFTER SEARCHING FILES, NO PROGRAM LETTER WAS SUBMITTED TO THE FSDO FOR N1161. NOTE THAT REGISTRATION NUMBER OF THE AIRPLANE WAS N1161, BUT THERE WAS A PENDING REGISTRATION NUMBER CHANGE IN THE FAA'S AIRCRAFT REGISTRY. THE REGISTRATION NUMBER PAINTED ON THE AIRPLANE WAS NX1161. THE SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS ISSUED ON MAY 26, 1983 AND BORE THE REGISTRATION NUMBER OF NX1161. ## 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 CHI04LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA158), Jun 19, 2004: Monocoupe 90AL-115 (N1161), St. Paul, MO, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain while maneuvering. ## Other reports on N1161 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19751116036809A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19751116036809A), Nov 16, 1975: Mncoup 90AL115 (N1161), Midland, TX, Substantial damage 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.