What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft N2332H, Ercoupe 415D departed Napa county airport (apc) on runway 36 at approximately 1430 hrs on 1/14/2010. At approximately 100 feet AGL the aircraft experienced an engine RPM surge of 50 to 100 RPM. The aircraft continued to climb when at 200 feet AGL the engine power deteriorated and stopped producing power. The pilot continued north and landed the aircraft in an open field. The nose landing gear strut failed when the nose wheel contacted the muddy terrain and folded back beneath the aircraft shortly after touchdown. One blade of the propeller struck the ground and the engine nacelle struck the ground. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury. During the on-scene investigation the engine mount struts were found to be bent and broken and the engine firewall was distorted. One propeller blade was bent and the nose gear strut was severely damaged. The lower fuselage skin and structure in the nose area was damaged. The aircraft was being flown from Napa, CA to calaveras, CA to further investigate a previous report of rough engine operation. The engine was inspected by the mechanic who overhauled the engine prior to the departure from Napa. He cleared the aircraft for the flight because he stated that he had found nothing wrong with the engine.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT N2332H, ERCOUPE 415D DEPARTED NAPA COUNTY AIRPORT (APC) ON RUNWAY 36 AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HRS ON 1/14/2010. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE RPM SURGE OF 50 TO 100 RPM. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO CLIMB WHEN AT 200 FEET AGL THE ENGINE POWER DETERIORATED AND STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT CONTINUED NORTH AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR STRUT FAILED WHEN THE NOSE WHEEL CONTACTED THE MUDDY TERRAIN AND FOLDED BACK BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN. ONE BLADE OF THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE ENGINE NACELLE STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION THE ENGINE MOUNT STRUTS WERE FOUND TO BE BENT AND BROKEN AND THE ENGINE FIREWALL WAS DISTORTED. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AND THE NOSE GEAR STRUT WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE LOWER FUSELAGE SKIN AND STRUCTURE IN THE NOSE AREA WAS DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN FROM NAPA, CA TO CALAVERAS, CA TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE A PREVIOUS REPORT OF ROUGH ENGINE OPERATION. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED BY THE MECHANIC WHO OVERHAULED THE ENGINE PRIOR TO THE DEPARTURE FROM NAPA. HE CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE FLIGHT BECAUSE HE STATED THAT HE HAD FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE 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.