- Date
- March 23, 1985, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sussex, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N99677Ercoupe 415-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850323011529A
- Case key
- 35848
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft experienced a loss of eng pwr during climb shortly after takeoff and was substantially damaged during the forced landing which resulted. The plt reported the eng coughed and lost pwr, however, when the throttle was pumped, pwr returned. Pwr was then lost once again when the throttle was moved to the full open position. Post accident inspection of the acft and eng revealed the fuel primer was unlocked and slightly pulled back. Several spark plugs were soot covered as was the inside of the exhaust pipe. A fuel sample taken from the acft was brown in color and contaminated with water. After repairing some damage incurred in the accident and replacing a worn start clutch, the eng was started and it operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N99677
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2300
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Continental UNKNOWN, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carl Lastella
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Sussex, NJ
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.