- Date
- June 16, 1990, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Truth/Consequen, NM
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N94351Ercoupe 415C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900616020859A
- Case key
- 17953
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 failure to maintain proper airspeed and obtain a proper climb rate after takeoff.
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 attempted to takeoff. The passenger reported that the pilot lifted off at 60 miles per hour, pulled the plane up steeply until the airspeed bled off, pushed the nose over to regain airspeed and repeated this maneuver twice more before the plane reached the end of the runway. The passenger said the pilot decided to land on the end of the runway, and reduced power, but had to add power again to clear a fence. The pilot then reduced power, asked the passenger to shut off the fuel, and made a forced landing in the mesquite brush, damaging the nose gear, engine mounts, and both wings, substantially.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94351
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1574
- Engine
- Continental C-75-12, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John W. Schultz
- Departed
- TCS
- Airport
- TCS · Truth Or Consequences, runway 31, 5,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 499 total · 2 in this make and model · 406 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.