- Date
- July 18, 2021, 10:55 local (14:55 UTC)
- Place
- Frostproof, FL
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3044HErcoupe 415-C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210718010879A
- Case key
- 103502
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 loss of directional control during takeoff as a result of a child reaching for and manipulating the flight controls.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, he was going to take his grandson and great grandson on a flight around the airport. He stated that the great grandson was sitting on the lap of his grandson. During takeoff, as the airplane was lifting off the runway, the great grandson reached for the controls, turned them to the right, and pulled back. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the right, exited the runway, and struck a fence. During the accident sequence, the fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3044H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3669
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,304
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 4, 2021 · 47 hours before
- Airport
- 52FL · Lake Clinch Airpark, runway 18, 2,880 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 29, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 12,148 total · 950 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- BOW, 17 nm away
- METAR
- KBOW 181450Z VRB04KT 10SM SCT025 30/22 A3020
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 26, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.