- Date
- December 29, 2007, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Abingdon, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N94131Ercoupe 415D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Springfield, IL
- FAA report
- 20071229831919A
- Case key
- 67477
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 loose clamp on the throttle cable which prevented application of engine power. A factor in the accident was the low altitude when the throttle cable slipped.
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 pilot reported that he performed a fly-by at a restricted landing area and when he applied power the engine did not respond. He attempted a 180 degree turn to land on the runway in the opposite direction, but the right wing tip struck the ground prior to the completion of the turn. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that a clamp attached to the engine mount that secured the throttle cable to the engine mount structure had rotated. This prevented the opening of the carburetor butterfly when the throttle was advanced. Additional information obtained during the investigation revealed that the pilot's most recent application for a medical certificate was denied on November 14, 2003. Federal Aviation Administration regulations state that a person operating a airplane as a light sport aircraft must have been found eligible for the issuance of at least a third-class airman medical certificate at the time of his or her most recent application if that person has applied for a medical certificate in the past. In addition, the accident airplane, an Ercoupe 415D, which has a maximum gross weight of 1,400 pounds, does not comply with the 1,320 pound maximum gross weight limitation prescribed in the regulations.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he performed a fly-by at a restricted landing area and when he applied power the engine did not respond. He attempted a 180 degree turn to land on the runway in the opposite direction, but the right wing tip struck the ground prior to the completion of the turn. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed that a clamp attached to the engine mount that secured the throttle cable to the engine mount structure had rotated. This prevented the opening of the carburetor butterfly when the throttle was advanced. Additional information obtained during the investigation revealed that the pilot's most recent application for a medical certificate was denied on November 14, 2003. Federal Aviation Administration regulations state that a person operating a airplane as a light sport aircraft must have been found eligible for the issuance of at least a third-class airman medical certificate at the time of his or her most recent application if that person has applied for a medical certificate in the past. In addition, the accident airplane, an Ercoupe 415D, which has a maximum gross weight of 1,400 pounds, does not comply with the 1,320 pound maximum gross weight limitation prescribed in the regulations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94131
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1454
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GBG · Galesburg, IL
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2006
- Flight hours
- 710 total · 164 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.