- Date
- October 11, 1985, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, MA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3191HErcoupe 415-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851011054679A
- Case key
- 30244
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 contacted trees while making an apch to rwy 34 at Sterling, Massachusetts. The acft crashed about 100 ft short of the rwy. The plt stated that a severe downdraft was encountered and then a rapid rate of descent followed. The left main gear struck trees veering the acft left 20 degs. The acft pitched through the trees, striking the ground left wing and nose first.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3191H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3816
- Airframe hours
- 1,511
- Engine
- Continental C85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kevin K. Eckert & Robert Mohr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 1985 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- 3B3 · Sterling, MA
- Airport
- 3B3 · Sterling, runway 34, 3,100 × 40 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 445 total · 181 in this make and model · 324 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.