- Date
- July 29, 2007, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N87026Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Orlando FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070729020409A
- Case key
- 66326
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 failure to maintain airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent collision with the runway.
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 stated that the flight was returning from a pleasure flight. He entered the traffic pattern for landing on runway 27; however, there was one airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 32. He was a little high on final approach and elected a go-around. He climbed to 800 feet and went to the shoreline, then reentered the traffic pattern for runway 27. The airplane was again high and when the flight was 1/2 way down the runway he performed a second go-around. This time he flew to the Indian River and returned for landing on runway 27. When the flight was over the numbers, he pulled aft on the yoke. He felt the airplane sinking when it was about 50 feet above the ground. He added full power, and about that time, the right wing stalled, the nose dropped, and right wing impacted the runway, followed by the nose. The airplane slid about 100 feet and was facing 90 degrees from the original flight path before it came to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane without assistance. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the flight was returning from a pleasure flight. He entered the traffic pattern for landing on runway 27; however, there was one airplane in the traffic pattern for runway 32. He was a little high on final approach and elected a go-around. He climbed to 800 feet and went to the shoreline, then reentered the traffic pattern for runway 27. The airplane was again high and when the flight was 1/2 way down the runway he performed a second go-around. This time he flew to the Indian River and returned for landing on runway 27. When the flight was over the numbers, he pulled aft on the yoke. He felt the airplane sinking when it was about 50 feet above the ground. He added full power, and about that time, the right wing stalled, the nose dropped, and right wing impacted the runway, followed by the nose. The airplane slid about 100 feet and was facing 90 degrees from the original flight path before it came to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane without assistance. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87026
- Reported as
- Engineering & Research Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 199
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental 85-12F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald Nathaniel Stillwell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 2RR · River Ranch, FL
- Destination
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Airport
- KX59 · Valkaria Airport, runway 27, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 860 total · 33 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.