Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415C N2546H

Summary

On 3 July 2004 at about 23:30 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415C registered N2546H was involved in an accident near Lake City, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

3 July 2004 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake City, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

44.3203, -85.1703

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) 415C

Registration

N2546H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lake City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA175

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot selecting the wrong runway for the wind conditions and his delay in executing an aborted takeoff resulting in the airplane running off the departure end of the runway and into a ditch. The tailwind and the ditch were contributing factors.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was damaged when it went off the end of the runway, crossed a road and struck a ditch on the opposite side of the road. The pilot reported that during the takeoff, he "accelerated to slightly over 85 miles per hour [and] could feel absolutely no lift." He reported seeing a small piece of paper come from the northwest at approximately 100 feet above the ground. He stated that the paper then dove to the ground to the southwest and bounced along the ground in front of the airplane. The pilot stated that he pulled the throttle back, the airplane bounced off of the ground, hit the end of the runway and crossed the road adjacent to the departure end of the runway and came to rest in the ditch on the west side of the road. The winds about 30 minutes prior to the accident were 120 degrees at 11 knots. About 30 minutes after the accident the recorded wind was 130 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots. The takeoff was being made on runway 27.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.