Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) E N94840

Summary

On 8 March 2006 at about 03:30 local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) E registered N94840, operated by LLoyd J Probst, was involved in an accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, United States. 2 people were 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

8 March 2006 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Wetumpka, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

32.5242, -86.3236

Aircraft

Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp ) E

Registration

N94840

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

LLoyd J Probst

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alexander City → Wetumpka

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL06LA049

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the No. 2 exhaust, and intake valves for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight and damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that while enroute to the Wetumpka Airport at 2,500 feet the engine began to vibrate and stopped. He contacted air traffic control personnel and declared an emergency. The pilot made an emergency landing in an open field where the airplane collided with a ditch on the landing rollout and nosed over inverted. Examination of the engine by an FAA inspector revealed that when the No. 2 upper spark plug was removed it had foreign object damage. A compression check was performed and the No. 2 cylinder had no compression. The crankshaft was rotated and gear and valve train continuity was established. The No. 2 cylinder was removed from the engine case and examination of the cylinder assembly revealed that the exhaust and intake valves were broken. A review of the engine logbook revealed that the new Superior cylinders were installed on December 12, 2000, and had a total operation time of 272 hours since the installation. The No. 2 cylinder, exhaust, intake valves, and piston were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Material Laboratory for further examination. The valves from the No. 2 cylinder were disassembled and visually inspected. The exhaust fracture faces were so heavily damaged by post separation impacts that no original fracture features could be found. The fractures on the intake valve head were only slightly damaged with features consistent with overstress fracturing consistent with low temperature impact loading, secondary to the fracture of the exhaust valve.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.