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20150825017449A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C · Newnan, GA · August 25, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 25, 2015 · 12:30 local
Place
Newnan, GA
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N87172
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA15LA379
Reported as
Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
Reported engine
Continental A&C75 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
7,000 total50 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N87172Registration cancelled Mar 9, 2019 · Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-CS/N 345 · Built 1946Airframe modelEngineering & Research ERCOUPE 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.

According the passenger?s and pilot?s statement they had departed kcco (coweta county airport, Georgia) for a trip around the pattern. After a preflight inspection, the owner of the aircraft in the left seat and his CFII in the right seat taxied out to runway 32 the owner was at the controls. The pilot made a radio check, transponder check, turned the strobes on, and completed a normal run-up. The owner of the aircraft started the takeoff, but nearing the end of the runway, the aircraft banked sharply to the left. At this point, the CFII took over control of the aircraft and cleared the end of the runway. The CFII put in hard right aileron and right rudder to maintain level flight, with full power he climbed to about 400FT AGL. The CFII then made shallow wide left base to final. The CFI lined the aircraft up on the centerline, but as they made the airport, and reduced power, the aircraft yawed left. Correcting the left yaw, the CFII yawed right and then over grass touched down hard. The nose gear buckled and skid to a stop. On August 25th 2015 FAA, inspectors visited cco airport and gave approval to move aircraft N87172 from the runway. On sept. 29 FAA, inspectors visited cco to locate the aircraft and owner. The aircraft was stored inside a hangar, but the owner was not available. On oct. 6, FAA inspectors met with the aircraft owner, the CFII that was flying the aircraft at the time of the accident, and mechanic who had just completed the annual inspection. This was the first flight following the annual inspections and wings being recovered with new fabric. The nose cowling was removed when the FAA inspectors arrived on October 6th. There is damage to the propeller, carburetor, engine mount, nose gear assembly and firewall. FAA inspectors took pictures, and copies of the owner?s pilot license, as well as the CFII?s license and medical. There was no obvious cause of the aircraft bank to the left so it we agreed that that mechanic would open the floor panels and access the flight controls components over the weekend. We met back on oct. 13th. The owner and mechanic were there with the aircraft opened up. Inspection of the flight controls components showed no obvious discrepancies. As on the previous visit with the yoke in the neutral position, the ailerons were even with the wings. Yoke movement with aileron movement was normal. FAA inspector requested a statement from the mechanic. The mechanic stated that he used the maintenance manual to install the wings and check aileron rigging with a protractor. Possible cause could be the airframe is distorted from previous accidents or one wing slightly deformed from previous accident.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING THE PASSENGER?S AND PILOT?S STATEMENT THEY HAD DEPARTED KCCO (COWETA COUNTY AIRPORT, GEORGIA) FOR A TRIP AROUND THE PATTERN. AFTER A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE LEFT SEAT AND HIS CFII IN THE RIGHT SEAT TAXIED OUT TO RUNWAY 32 THE OWNER WAS AT THE CONTROLS. THE PILOT MADE A RADIO CHECK, TRANSPONDER CHECK, TURNED THE STROBES ON, AND COMPLETED A NORMAL RUN-UP. THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED THE TAKEOFF, BUT NEARING THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT BANKED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. AT THIS POINT, THE CFII TOOK OVER CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CLEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE CFII PUT IN HARD RIGHT AILERON AND RIGHT RUDDER TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT, WITH FULL POWER HE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 400FT AGL. THE CFII THEN MADE SHALLOW WIDE LEFT BASE TO FINAL. THE CFI LINED THE AIRCRAFT UP ON THE CENTERLINE, BUT AS THEY MADE THE AIRPORT, AND REDUCED POWER, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED LEFT. CORRECTING THE LEFT YAW, THE CFII YAWED RIGHT AND THEN OVER GRASS TOUCHED DOWN HARD. THE NOSE GEAR BUCKLED AND SKID TO A STOP. ON AUGUST 25TH 2015 FAA, INSPECTORS VISITED CCO AIRPORT AND GAVE APPROVAL TO MOVE AIRCRAFT N87172 FROM THE RUNWAY. ON SEPT. 29 FAA, INSPECTORS VISITED CCO TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT AND OWNER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STORED INSIDE A HANGAR, BUT THE OWNER WAS NOT AVAILABLE. ON OCT. 6, FAA INSPECTORS MET WITH THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, THE CFII THAT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND MECHANIC WHO HAD JUST COMPLETED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE ANNUAL INSPECTIONS AND WINGS BEING RECOVERED WITH NEW FABRIC. THE NOSE COWLING WAS REMOVED WHEN THE FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON OCTOBER 6TH. THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, CARBURETOR, ENGINE MOUNT, NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY AND FIREWALL. FAA INSPECTORS TOOK PICTURES, AND COPIES OF THE OWNER?S PILOT LICENSE, AS WELL AS THE CFII?S LICENSE AND MEDICAL. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS CAUSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BANK TO THE LEFT SO IT WE AGREED THAT THAT MECHANIC WOULD OPEN THE FLOOR PANELS AND ACCESS THE FLIGHT CONTROLS COMPONENTS OVER THE WEEKEND. WE MET BACK ON OCT. 13TH. THE OWNER AND MECHANIC WERE THERE WITH THE AIRCRAFT OPENED UP. INSPECTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS COMPONENTS SHOWED NO OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES. AS ON THE PREVIOUS VISIT WITH THE YOKE IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION, THE AILERONS WERE EVEN WITH THE WINGS. YOKE MOVEMENT WITH AILERON MOVEMENT WAS NORMAL. FAA INSPECTOR REQUESTED A STATEMENT FROM THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE USED THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL TO INSTALL THE WINGS AND CHECK AILERON RIGGING WITH A PROTRACTOR. POSSIBLE CAUSE COULD BE THE AIRFRAME IS DISTORTED FROM PREVIOUS ACCIDENTS OR ONE WING SLIGHTLY DEFORMED FROM PREVIOUS ACCIDENT.

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 ERA15LA379Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAtlanta, GAThe pilot's loss of airplane control, which resulted in a hard landing.Aug 25, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N87172 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20130305004821ATaxi · Newnan, GAOn March 5, 2012 at approximately 11:30AM, [privacy data omitted]operator [privacy data omitted] was returning from a flight and taxing his aircraft (N87172), back to his assigned parking spot at the Newnan Coweta County Airport. [privacy data omitted]…Mar 5, 2013 · Substantial damageAccident 20100428035559AClimb · La Grange, GAAircraft N87172 took off from klgc runway 31. On the downwind leg the engine sputtered and stop. The pilot turn torwards the runway and landed stort of runway 31. Upon landing on the ground short of the runway the nose gear collasp damaging the firewall,…Apr 28, 2010 · Substantial damage