- Date
- November 3, 1990, 16:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Shelby, MI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9409BErcoupe 415C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901103048529A
- Case key
- 14826
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 continued flight into IMC.
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 private pilot departed on a short VFR cross country flight to his home airport. The area around his home airport was fogged in. Visibility was estimated to be 3/4 of a mile with a ceiling varying from tree top level to 700 feet above the ground. Witnesses reported that they heard the airplane flying around the area for 15 to 30 minutes. They stated it was making sounds like a 'crop duster'. Two witnesses briefly saw the airplane come out of, and re-enter, the low clouds. The airplane was observed coming out of the clouds, banking steeply during a pullup maneuver and stalling. The airplane rolled to the left and collided with the ground at a steep angle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9409B
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1421
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Elmer N. Hall
- Registered owner
- Elmer N Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 1990
- Departed
- MKG · Muskegon, MI
- Destination
- C04 · Shelby, MI
- Airport
- C04 · Oceana County
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 700 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dusk
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.