- Date
- July 23, 2008, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Jefferson, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N94413Ercoupe 415-G
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080723843379A
- Case key
- 68704
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 improper preflight planning/preparation by the pilot and the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion during takeoff. Contributing factors were the pilot’s expired flight review and airman medical, the aircraft weight and balance exceeded by the pilot, and the trees.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during takeoff about 500 feet from the departure end of a private grass airstrip during a personal flight that was en route to obtain fuel at the destination airport. The airplane wings were crushed rearward along the leading edge, the empennage was separated from the airframe, and the firewall was wrinkled. The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses. The pilot sustained serious injuries that included a broken right arm and left leg and the passenger sustained serious facial and ankle injuries. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no usable fuel in either wing tank and header tank. Also, there was no residual fuel in the header tank to engine fuel lines. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane's center of gravity, with no usable fuel aboard, was aft of its limit. The pilot's fight review and medical certificate were expired at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during takeoff about 500 feet from the departure end of a private grass airstrip during a personal flight that was en route to obtain fuel at the destination airport. The airplane wings were crushed rearward along the leading edge, the empennage was separated from the airframe, and the firewall was wrinkled. The airplane was not equipped with shoulder harnesses. The pilot sustained serious injuries that included a broken right arm and left leg and the passenger sustained serious facial and ankle injuries. Examination of the airplane revealed there was no usable fuel in either wing tank and header tank. Also, there was no residual fuel in the header tank to engine fuel lines. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane's center of gravity, with no usable fuel aboard, was aft of its limit. The pilot's fight review and medical certificate were expired at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94413
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5045
- Engine
- Continental O-200, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2008
- Departed
- West Jefferson, OH
- Destination
- UYF · London, OH
- Airport
- PVT · Private, runway 36
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- October 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 4 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.