Ercoupe 415-C N93846

Summary

On 2 March 1982 at about 19:03 local time, a Ercoupe 415-C registered N93846, operated by L O Ledbetteo, was involved in an accident near Topeka, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 March 1982 at 19:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Topeka, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Mesa Verde (PVT)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Ercoupe 415-C

Registration

N93846

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

L O Ledbetteo

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Topeka → Topeka

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC82FCG17

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AND BURNED DURING TAKEOFF AT 1303 CST. THE PILOT RECEIVED SECOND DEGREE BURNS OVER 20 PER CENT OF HIS BODY AND EXPIRED ON 3/9/82. TWO SAILPLANES WERE DAMAGED BY IMPACT AND FIRE, AND A THIRD SAILPLANE RECEIVED FIRE DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, HE MADE TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS IN CALM AIR WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT ON HIS THIRD TAKEOFF, HE STARTED A TURN AT 75 FT AGL AND WAS CAUGHT BY A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND WHICH CAUSED HIS RIGHT WING TO DROP. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED BEFORE HE COULD REGAIN CONTROL. HE REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MALFUNCTION OF THE ENGINE OR AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACT. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS CALM PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THEN SUDDENLY BECAME GUSTY FROM THE NORTH AT 15 MPH. EIGHT MILES SOUTHEAST AT THE PHILLIP BILLARD AIRPORT, THERE WAS A WIND SHIFT AT 1344 CST FROM 040 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS TO 010 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.