OpenAirDocs.org

20140719011939A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Ercoupe 415-C · Hubbard, OR · July 19, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 19, 2014 · 10:45 local
Place
Hubbard, OR
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N99621
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR14CA301
Reported as
Ercoupe 415-C
Reported engine
Continental C85 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
715 total3 in the last 90 days
N99621Registration cancelled Feb 13, 2018 · Ercoupe 415-CS/N 2244 · Built 1946Airframe modelErcoupe 415-CEngine modelContinental A&C75 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.

At approximately 10:30 am local time, Saturday, July 19, 2014, Ercoupe 415C, N99621, impacted trees approximately 1/4 mile south of runway 02, lenhardt airpark (7S9), Hubbard, Oregon.

It appears the left wing broke off an 18 inch diameter, 100 foot tall tree, at approximately 60 feet above the ground. The wings, taking the initial impact, twisted backwards and folded back, absorbing most of the impact energy by dragging through the branches of the surrounding trees. The fuselage caught an approximately 8 inch diameter tree between the fuselage and right wing root. The wreckage slid down this tree as the tree bent downward, and slowed impact with the ground considerably.

The aircraft came to rest 45 degrees nose down, 45 degrees right wing low. Both wings were totally destroyed, twisted, and folded back against the fuselage. The fuselage, while remaining intact, was twisted at the horizontal stabilizer. The wing fuel tank (l/h wing root) was ruptured by impact with a tree. The nose header fuel tank filler cap came loose at some point during the accident sequence, but the tank still held approximately 3 gallons at the accident scene. The accident pilot stated that the engine was running strong at the time of impact. There was no fire.

The accident witness (a pilot) saw the approach and thought to himself that it was pretty low, just as the aircraft hit the tops and disappeared into the trees.

The accident pilot stated that it was a windy day and that a ?cross wind shear burst? Moved his airplane to the right of the approach path, ?swinging? The aircraft to the right and ?directing it? Into a stand of trees.

The accident witness helped the pilot and passenger from the aircraft. The 80 year old accident pilot and his 70 year old passenger went to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Both were released within an hour.

The accident pilot was current in make/model, having had his bfr 06-18-2014. He was acting as a sport pilot, not holding a medical since 2002. (Ercoupe 415C may be operated by a light sport pilot). The aircraft was in annual inspection (03-07-2014 at 2373.8 tt) and all AD?s complied with.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME, SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2014, ERCOUPE 415C, N99621, IMPACTED TREES APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF RUNWAY 02, LENHARDT AIRPARK (7S9), HUBBARD, OREGON.

IT APPEARS THE LEFT WING BROKE OFF AN 18 INCH DIAMETER, 100 FOOT TALL TREE, AT APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE WINGS, TAKING THE INITIAL IMPACT, TWISTED BACKWARDS AND FOLDED BACK, ABSORBING MOST OF THE IMPACT ENERGY BY DRAGGING THROUGH THE BRANCHES OF THE SURROUNDING TREES. THE FUSELAGE CAUGHT AN APPROXIMATELY 8 INCH DIAMETER TREE BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND RIGHT WING ROOT. THE WRECKAGE SLID DOWN THIS TREE AS THE TREE BENT DOWNWARD, AND SLOWED IMPACT WITH THE GROUND CONSIDERABLY.

THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 45 DEGREES NOSE DOWN, 45 DEGREES RIGHT WING LOW. BOTH WINGS WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED, TWISTED, AND FOLDED BACK AGAINST THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE, WHILE REMAINING INTACT, WAS TWISTED AT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE WING FUEL TANK (L/H WING ROOT) WAS RUPTURED BY IMPACT WITH A TREE. THE NOSE HEADER FUEL TANK FILLER CAP CAME LOOSE AT SOME POINT DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, BUT THE TANK STILL HELD APPROXIMATELY 3 GALLONS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING STRONG AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THERE WAS NO FIRE.

THE ACCIDENT WITNESS (A PILOT) SAW THE APPROACH AND THOUGHT TO HIMSELF THAT IT WAS PRETTY LOW, JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TOPS AND DISAPPEARED INTO THE TREES.

THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS A WINDY DAY AND THAT A ?CROSS WIND SHEAR BURST? MOVED HIS AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT OF THE APPROACH PATH, ?SWINGING? THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT AND ?DIRECTING IT? INTO A STAND OF TREES.

THE ACCIDENT WITNESS HELPED THE PILOT AND PASSENGER FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE 80 YEAR OLD ACCIDENT PILOT AND HIS 70 YEAR OLD PASSENGER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. BOTH WERE RELEASED WITHIN AN HOUR.

THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS CURRENT IN MAKE/MODEL, HAVING HAD HIS BFR 06-18-2014. HE WAS ACTING AS A SPORT PILOT, NOT HOLDING A MEDICAL SINCE 2002. (ERCOUPE 415C MAY BE OPERATED BY A LIGHT SPORT PILOT). THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN ANNUAL INSPECTION (03-07-2014 AT 2373.8 TT) AND ALL AD?S COMPLIED WITH.

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 WPR14CA301Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportHubbart, ORThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and proper alignment during approach for landing in gusting wind conditions.Jul 19, 2014 · Substantial damage