- Date
- May 21, 1992, 19:10 local (May 22, 1992, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Van, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3454HErcoupe 415-CD
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920521015549A
- Case key
- 18501
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
Fuel exhaustion engine power loss due to the pilot's failure to refuel. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.
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
During cruise flight the pilot experienced a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. While attempting a forced landing to an open field, the airplane flew under power lines and collided with the lower set of wires. The wires severed the right elevator causing a loss of control. The FAA coordinator found no fuel in the airplane and saw no evidence of fuel spillage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3454H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-CD
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4079
- Airframe hours
- 9,542
- Engine
- Continental C-85 12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Trudy M. Bear
- Registered owner
- Trudy M. Bear
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1991 · 116 hours before
- Departed
- TYR · Tyler, TX
- Destination
- TYR
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 216 total · 152 in this make and model · 161 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TYR, 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.
Other investigations on N3454H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.