Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD N4576B
28 September 1993 · Charles City, Virginia, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 28 September 1993 at about 15:23 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD registered N4576B, operated by William T. Priddy, was involved in an accident near Charles City, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:23
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Charles City, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.3410, -77.0704
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD
- Registration
- N4576B
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- William T. Priddy
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Williamsburg → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- BFO93FA188
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot exceeded the design stress limits of the airplane which resulted in an in-flight break-up.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A VFR LOCAL FLIGHT WHEN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP OCCURRED. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A HALF SQUARE MILE AREA. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE CENTER SECTION BEAM ASSEMBLY (ATTACHED TO THE WINGS FRONT SPARS) FAILED IN POSITIVE OVERLOAD. ALL FRACTURE SURFACES EXHIBITED FEATURES TYPICAL OF OVERSTRESS. PRIMARY RADAR RETURNS ( REFLECTION OF RADAR SIGNAL WHICH INDICATE A TWO DIMENSIONAL POSITION IN SPACE -RANGE AND AZIMUTH) WERE THE ONLY DATA RECORDED FOR THE AIRPLANE. SECONDARY DATA, WHICH REPORTS THE ALTITUDE OF AN AIRPLANE, WERE NOT RECORDED. NO OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE RECORDED ON RADAR NEAR THE ACCIDENT AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER REPORTS ISSUED FOR THE ACCIDENT AREA. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATIONS OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 2,2421 HOURS AND HAD A 100 HOUR INSPECTION ABOUT 71 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Helena, Montana, United States | Wilhelm, Clayton D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Twentynine Palm, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 May 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415C | Derby, Kansas, United States | Rains, Cecil R. | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415C | Columbia, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Liberty, Missouri, United States | Collins, Robert D. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 1993 | Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C | Palisade, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep 1993 | Cessna 172P | Pembroke, Virginia, United States | Air Chesterfield Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 May 1993 | Piper PA-28-181 | Chesterfield, Virginia, United States | Aero Industries | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 1993 | Cessna 172N | Tangier Island, Virginia, United States | Reichard Aviation Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 1993 | Cessna 152 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | Rick Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 1993 | Cessna 172E | Manassas, Virginia, United States | Continental Aviation Club Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1993 | Cessna 172 | Emporia, Virginia, United States | Civil Air Patrol, Inc. | No injuries | - |