- Date
- August 16, 1997, 16:43 local (20:43 UTC)
- Place
- Siler City, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2237HErcoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 2, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970816022539A
- Case key
- 38328
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
Failure of the pilot to obtain a preflight weather briefing, inaccurate weather evaluation by the pilot, and his poor in-flight planning decision for descending too low to read a road sign.
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 did not obtain a preflight weather briefing before departure then shortly after takeoff, his passenger noted fuel coming from the right wing fuel tank cap. The flight continued then 20-30 minutes later, the right wing fuel tank sight gauge indicated 1/4 capacity. He elected to divert to the Asheboro airport to determine the fuel problem but due to his wind overcorrection, he was unable to locate the airport. He then elected to fly to the Siler City airport and after recognizing a nearby highway, he elected to descend to read a highway sign. The airplane collided with an unmarked span guy wire that ranges in height to 28-36 feet above ground level. The airplane then collided with and remained suspended in trees.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 1997, about 1643 eastern daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C, N2237H, registered to a private individual, collided with an unmarked span guy wire near Siler City, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 1500, from the Shiflet Field Airport, Marion, North Carolina.
The pilot did not obtain a formal weather briefing before departure and stated that shortly after takeoff, his passenger noted fuel spray coming from the right fuel tank fuel cap. About 20-30 minutes later, the fuel tank sight indicator was indicating 1/4 tank capacity remaining. He elected to divert to the Asheboro Airport to determine the reason for the problem, but he was unable to locate the airport due to his wind overcorrection. He then elected to fly to the Siler City airport but while looking for landmarks, he noted a nearby highway that he thought he recognized. He intentionally descended to note the markings on a highway sign, but collided with an unmarked span guy wire which was between 28 and 36 feet above ground level. The airplane then veered to the left and collided with and remained suspended in the trees that border the highway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2237H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2860
- Engine
- Continental C75-12, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clyde W. Hooker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1996
- Departed
- 9A9 · Marion, NC
- Destination
- W44 · Asheboro, NC
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
- 70
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 34 in this make and model · 1,675 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GSO, 32 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 N2237H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.