Ercoupe 415-C N3182H

Summary

On 22 August 2003 at about 13:30 local time, a Ercoupe 415-C registered N3182H, operated by Robert Greenwade, was involved in an accident near Saint Johns, Arizona, 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

22 August 2003 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Saint Johns, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

St Johns Airport (KSJN)

Coordinates

34.5167, -109.3667

Aircraft

Ercoupe 415-C

Registration

N3182H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Greenwade

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Saint Johns → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX03LA260

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the exhaust valve on the number two engine cylinder, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the final approach to land, and an on ground collision with a ditch during the subsequent off-airport landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane lost engine power and collided with a ditch while executing a forced landing to a dirt road. Just before the pilot turned on to an extended final approach to the runway, the "engine started hammering." The pilot was not able to increase the engine power enough to maintain level flight. He landed on a dirt road one and a half miles east of the airport. Upon landing, the airplane veered off a curve in the road into a drainage ditch, collapsing the nose gear. The airplane then nosed over on the other side of the ditch. Examination of the engine revealed a failed exhaust valve on the number two cylinder.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.