- Date
- June 30, 1992, 12:09 local (19:09 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3165HErcoupe 415C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920630022649A
- Case key
- 27668
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 starvation caused by the inflight separation of the fuel gascolator bowl due to improper component installation.
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 pilot, who is an A&P mechanic, said he bought the aircraft and completely rebuilt it 15 hours prior to the accident. The pilot said the aircraft was in level cruise when the engine began to sputter, then reduced to idle. All attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot attempted to land in a field and collided with high sage brush and small trees. FAA inspectors conducted an onsite examination of the aircraft. The gascolator bowl was found to be missing from the firewall mount and could not be located at the site during a search of the aircraft ground roll path. Detailed examination of the area around the mounting location on the firewall revealed no evidence of any damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3165H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3790
- Airframe hours
- 3,025
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hernan D. Posada
- Registered owner
- Hernan D. Posada
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 24, 1992 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- L70 · Agua Dulce, CA
- Destination
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
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
- 22
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 140 total · 9 in this make and model · 78 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.