- Date
- October 9, 2003, 19:45 local (Oct 10, 2003, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Harvard, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3848HErcoupe 415-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20031009029169A
- Case key
- 58144
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 misjudged his altitude and distance from the approach end of the airstrip, along with his decision to land at an unlit airstrip at night. Factors involved in the accident were the the night lighting conditions, the unlit airstrip, and the corn crop which the airplane contacted.
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 contacted a corn crop while attempting to land on an unlit grass airstrip at night. The pilot stated that he was making a low approach over the unlit airstrip to determine if he was able to see it well enough to land. He stated that if he was unable to see well enough, he had planned to fly to a nearby airport. He stated the field elevation at the airstrip is 1,000 feet and he set his altimeter after listening to the Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS) of a airport which was approximately 28 statue miles away. He stated that once on final approach, he was able to see the lights from the open hangar at the far end of the airstrip. He reported he descended in the general direction of the runway threshold using a flashlight in the cockpit to view the altimeter. The pilot reported he was next aware of the sound of corn stalks hitting the airplane. The airplane then impacted the ground and turned to the right with the nose gear collapsing. The airplane contacted the corn stalks approximately two-tenths of a mile from the end of the runway. The pilot reported, "I would say I failed to monitor the rate of sink for the fly-by/approach and the situation was due to pilot error."
Factual narrative
On October 9, 2003, at 1945 central daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-D, N3848H, operated by a private pilot, collided with a corn crop while attempting to land on runway 18 at a private airstrip (2,650 feet by 120 feet, grass) in Harvard, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Palwaukee Municipal Airport (PWK), Wheeling, Illinois, at 1900.
The pilot stated that he was making a low approach over the unlit airstrip to determine if he was able to see it well enough to land. He stated that if he was unable to see well enough, he had planned to fly to nearby Dacy Airport (0C0). He stated the field elevation at the airstrip is 1,000 feet. The pilot reported that he set his altimeter after listening to the Greater Rockford Airport (RFD) Automated Terminal Information Service (ATIS). RFD is located approximately 28 statue miles from the accident site. He stated that once on final approach, he was able to see the lights from the open hangar at the far end of the airstrip. He reported he descended in the general direction of the runway threshold using a flashlight in the cockpit to view the altimeter. The pilot reported he was next aware of the sound of corn stalks hitting the airplane. The airplane then impacted the ground and turned to the right with the nose gear collapsing. The airplane contacted the corn stalks approximately two-tenths of a mile from the end of the runway.
The pilot reported, "I would say I failed to monitor the rate of sink for the fly-by/approach and the situation was due to pilot error."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3848H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4549
- Airframe hours
- 1,750
- Engine
- Continental C-90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas N. Chapman
- Registered owner
- George T. York
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2002 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- PWK · Wheeling, IL
- Destination
- PVT · Harvard, IL
- Airport
- Pvt, runway 18, 2,650 × 120 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 156 total · 63 in this make and model · 88 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- RFD, 28 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.