- Date
- September 29, 1992, 18:32 local (Sep 30, 1992, 00:32 UTC)
- Place
- Gallup, NM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N94424Ercoupe 415-G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920929039239A
- Case key
- 18573
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 instructor pilot's lack of familiarity with the performance capability of the aircraft. Factors were the rising terrain and high density altitude.
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
A CFI was checking out a pilot in his newly purchased airplane on the flight back to his home station. The airplane departed with a full load of fuel and attempted to climb into the rising terrain surrounding the airport. The instructor pilot stated that 'the ground out climbed the airplane'. Unable to climb, the pilot attempted to land in the first open area that became available. The airplane impacted a fence post and a fence during landing rollout on a rutted dirt road. Density altitude at the airport was 8400 feet at the time of their departure. The CFI had one hour in the type of airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94424
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5058
- Airframe hours
- 1,240
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Porter, Marley
- Registered owner
- Porter, Marley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 1992 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- GUP
- Destination
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 424 total · 317 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GUP, 3 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.