- Date
- February 3, 1991, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pixley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N99483Ercoupe 415C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910203001419A
- Case key
- 27106
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 failure of the pilot to use carburetor heat in carburetor icing conditions. Contributing to the accident was the lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model.
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 certificated private pilot, with a passenger, was conducting touch and go landings to evaluate the airplane prior to a purchase. The pilot had accumulated about 4 hours in the airplane in the previous 7 days. On final approach after executing several touch and go's, the engine began to run rough and then quit. The pilot made an emergency landing in an alfalfa field. During the landing roll-out, the airplane struck a ditch and was substantially damaged. The airplane was in the process of an annual inspection that was not completed. The previous annual inspection was in November of 1988. Meteorological conditions were conducive to carburetor icing. The pilot did not indicate the use of carburetor heat during the descent phase of his landings. No mechanical malfunctions were found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99483
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2106
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12-F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bill Tyson
- Registered owner
- Donald Tyson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 1991
- Destination
- 0
- Airport
- Q90 · Pixlely
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 254 total · 4 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VIS, 30 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.