- Date
- May 19, 2006, 17:30 local (May 20, 2006, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vaughn, WA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2426HErcoupe 415-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060519021849A
- Case key
- 63728
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 loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 said he approached a private runway with the carburetor heat on and the engine's throttle back. He said he descended in a glide from 1,500 feet to 500 feet, and flew over the runway to make sure it was clear of people and obstacles. When he added power back in, the engine sputtered, ran for a short time, and lost power. The pilot said that he picked a place near the shore and ditched in the salty water. He attributed the loss of engine power to carburetor ice.
Factual narrative
On May 19, 2006, at approximately 1730 Pacific daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C, N2426H, was substantially damaged during a ditching in the Puget Sound near Vaughn, Washington. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal, cross-country flight which had originated approximately 10 minutes before the accident from Tacoma Narrows Airport, Tacoma, Washington. A flight plan had not been filed.
The pilot said he approached a private runway with the carburetor heat on and the engine's throttle back. He said he descended in a glide from 1,500 feet to 500 feet, and flew over the runway to make sure it was clear of people and obstacles. When he added power back in, the engine sputtered, ran for a short time, and lost power. The pilot said that he picked a place near the shore and ditched in the salty water. He attributed the loss of engine power to carburetor ice.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2426H
- Reported as
- Ercoupe 415-C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3051
- Engine
- Continental C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dale A. Powell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2005
- Departed
- TIW · Tacoma, WA
- Destination
- NONE · Vaughn, WA
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 400 in this make and model · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- PWT, 8 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.