- Date
- May 28, 2003, 20:45 local (May 29, 2003, 01:45 UTC)
- Place
- Manvel, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N94779Ercoupe 415E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030528011039A
- Case key
- 57122
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
The pilot's improper flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. A factor contributing to the accident was the collapse of the nose landing gear strut.
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
The airplane sustained substantial damage when its nose gear collapsed following a hard landing. The pilot reported the airplane touched down very hard and bounced. The pilot attempted to land the airplane, but the left wingtip and the nose landing gear impacted the terrain first. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop.
Factual narrative
On May 28, 2003, at 2045 central daylight time, an Ercoupe Model 415E, N94779, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it experienced a nose gear collapse while landing at the Heyde Airport (8ND4), Manvel, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated from the Heyde Airport, at 2015.
The pilot reported the airplane touched down "very hard" and bounced. The pilot stated he attempted to land the airplane again, but the nose landing gear and the left wingtip impacted the terrain first. The pilot noted the impact collapsed the nose landing gear and the airplane skidded to a stop.
The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94779
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4890
- Airframe hours
- 1,661
- Engine
- Continental C-90-14F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2002 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- 8ND4 · Manvel, ND
- Destination
- 8ND4 · Manvel, ND
- Airport
- 8ND4 · Heyde Airport, runway 35, 2,500 × 200 ft, grass/turf
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 91 total · 27 in this make and model · 62 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KGFK, 7 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.