- Date
- May 13, 1989, 19:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N99766Ercoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890513011459A
- Case key
- 8028
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An undetermined powerplant problem, which resulted in a loss of engine power, and the pilot/mechanic's failure to assure the aircraft was properly inspected before flight. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's delay in making a precautionary landing, and obstructions (trees) in the precautionary landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After a low pass over an open field, the acft collided with trees, crashed & began burning. One witness noted the acft had circled the area 2 or 3 times at low alt before the acdnt & that the eng was running erratically. The witness also noted that there were svrl open fields in the vicinity. An exam revealed the ignition sys wires to the spark plugs were deteriorated. No other preimpact part failure or malfunction was found that would have resulted in the acdnt; however, the eng was damaged by fire. The last annual inspn was on 11/14/83; flt time since then was about 13 hrs. The plt was an ia-rated mechanic, who had been hired by the new owner to return the acft to an airworthy status and ferry it to another arpt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99766
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2389
- Airframe hours
- 1,648
- Engine
- Continental C-75-12, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Morgan, Kenneth H.
- Registered owner
- Morgan, Kenneth H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 14, 1983 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Robbins, NC
- Destination
- 3A3 · Wadesboro, NC
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 321 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT, 53 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.