- Date
- August 25, 1990, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hamburg, MI
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2977HErcoupe Ercoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900825035959A
- Case key
- 14759
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
Powerplant failure due to foreign object in the carburetor resulting in fuel starvation.
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
While cruising at about 2500 ft MSL the engine RPM reduced to idle. An emergency ldg was attempted which resulted in a collision with power lines, then the terrain. The two occupants were removed from the wreckage by the emergency crew using, 'jaws of life'. Post accident investigation revealed a piece of foreign material had lodged in the main carburetor jet causing the fuel restriction and subsequent loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2977H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe Ercoupe 415-C (ERCOUPE 41)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3602
- Airframe hours
- 1,673
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kussmaul, Richard R.
- Registered owner
- Kussmaul, Richard R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1990 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- 45G · Brighton, MI
- Destination
- Clinton, MI
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 115 total · 68 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JXN, 30 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.