Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C N87204

Summary

On 31 August 2002 at about 17:25 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C registered N87204 was involved in an accident near Fresno, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 2002 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Fresno, California, United States

Nearest airport

Fresno Chandler Downtown (FCH)

Coordinates

36.8844, -119.8153

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415-C

Registration

N87204

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fresno → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA270

1 person had minor injuries.

a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane made an off field landing and collided with poles following a loss of engine power. An annual inspection had just been completed on the airplane and the purpose of the flight was to check the airplane out. Upon returning to the airport the engine began to run rough and lose power. During the attempted landing on a road the left wing hit a pole and the airplane began to weave. The airplane hit another pole and departed the road into soft dirt. The main landing gear dug into the soft dirt and the prop nosed into the ground. Both wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. A post accident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies, and it test ran successfully to 2,000 rpm.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.