ERA17LA023

The pilot rented the airplane, then flew to another airport to pick up a passenger for a local area flight. After departing with the passenger, they briefly returned to the airport to fix a headset. They departed for the second time, and shortly after, the engine abruptly lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing in a residential area, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and serious injury to the pilot and the passenger. The passenger reported that during the flight, the pilot stated that "something was wrong with the throttle." The pilot later stated he believed there may have been a problem with the throttle connection. A postaccident test run of the engine verified the mechanical integrity of the powertrain and valvetrain. Although it is possible that the engine lost partial power due to an unknown problem with the throttle connection, this could not be conclusively determined based on the available evidence.

***This report was modified on June 24, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** On October 19, 2016, about 1240 eastern daylight time, an Ercoupe 415C, N415WE, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Lindenwold, New Jersey. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Flying W Airport (N14), Lumberton, New Jersey. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot stated he rented the airplane and added nine gallons of fuel at Claremont Airport (58M), Elkton, Maryland. He departed with full fuel, 18 gallons, for the 1.2 hour flight to N14. He picked up a passenger and departed for a local area flight with about 12 gallons of fuel. The passenger stated that after departing N14 they briefly returned to the airport to fix a headset before departing again for the local flight. About 15 minutes into the flight, while level at 1,200 feet at 2,300 rpm, when "without warning or touching the throttle, no power was available." He applied carburetor heat, but power was not restored. He began an emergency decent and the airplane subsequently impacted trees in a residential area. The passenger reported it appeared that the engine was running at low rpm, and that during the flight the pilot stated, "something was wrong with the throttle." The pilot later stated he believed there may have been a problem with the throttle connection. The owner stated the airplane burns about five gallons per hour, it has two 9 1/2 gallon wing tanks and a six gallon header tank. The header tank gravity feeds to the engine and the wing tanks are equipped with engine driven fuel pumps. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane subsequently impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and the cockpit. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed the glass bowl on the fuel filter housing was empty. The engine mounts, crankcase, fuel system, and wiring were examined, no anomalies were found. The propeller was removed and a starting fluid was sprayed into the engine intake area. After a few revolutions, the engine began to fire and briefly ran in spurts while starting fluid was sprayed into the engine air inlet area. Correct throttle cable connection was not verified. The pilot held a private certificate for airplane single engine land airplane. His last FAA first-class medical was issued on March 7, 1992, with no restrictions. The two-seat, low wing, tricycle landing gear-equipped airplane, was manufactured in 1946. It was powered by a Continental C-75, 75 horsepower engine.