Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD N3859H

Summary

On 18 July 1999 at about 19:00 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD registered N3859H was involved in an accident near Wahoo, Nebraska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 July 1999 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wahoo, Nebraska, United States

Nearest airport

Wahoo Municipal (AHQ)

Coordinates

41.2093, -96.6203

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-CD

Registration

N3859H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA236

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper starting technique which resulted in the inadvertent starting of the engine, with no one in the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sat idle for a two months prior to the accident. The pilot reported the battery had enough power to rotate the propeller through only one rotation when he attempted to start the engine. He exited the airplane to turn the propeller in an attempt to '...get the engine at the top of its compression stroke.' The pilot reported he turned off the master switch, but failed to turn off the ignition switch prior to moving the propeller. He moved the propeller one-half of a turn and the engine started. The airplane traveled down a taxiway where it contacted a hangar becoming imbedded in the hangar.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.