- Date
- September 30, 1990, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Greers Ferry, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3673HErcoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900930043219A
- Case key
- 23184
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 decision to penetrate adverse weather and the resultant spatial disorientation. Factors were the weather conditions and the pilot's lack of instrument training/experience.
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 325 hour student pilot, who had departed from the site of an Ercoupe fly-in, encountered IMC approximately 170 NM east northeast of the departure point. A witness heard the airplane maneuvering at low level for approximately 10 minutes. The witness heard what was thought to be the airplane entering a dive, followed by silence. Post impact fire occurred. Weather at the site was 200 feet overcast with visibility of 2/10 mile in fog and drizzle.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3673H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4298
- Engine
- Continental C-75-12, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Doolin, Gary E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Page, AR
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 305 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- 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.
Other investigations on N3673H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.