- Date
- July 5, 1991, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparta, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N87169Ercoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910705026439A
- Case key
- 15117
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
Inadequate preflight by the pilot and the pilot's failure to reach a proper touchdown point.
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 said that he lost engine power on downwind leg. He attempted to land on the runway but landed short, colliding with a dirt embankment. Post accident investigation revealed the fuel system to be contaminated with water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87169
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 342
- Engine
- Continental C-65, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Reeds
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- 8D4 · Sparta, runway 24, 2,940 × 50 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 283 total · 30 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- GRR, 15 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.