Ercoupe 415 N2585H

Summary

On 17 October 2019 at about 15:12 local time, a Ercoupe 415 registered N2585H was involved in an accident near Alvin, Texas, 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

17 October 2019 at 15:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Alvin, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.4514, -95.3025

Aircraft

Ercoupe 415

Registration

N2585H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sonora → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA20CA031

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a total loss of engine power, and an off-airport landing, during which the airplane landed hard and then ground looped.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, before departure, he fueled the airplane to full capacity (24 gallons). He added that, about 3 hours 36 minutes into the flight, upon descending to 2,000 ft, the engine began to run roughly. He reported that, for about 5 minutes, the engine fluctuated between running roughly and intermittently before quitting entirely. He decided to land in a subdivision. During the "high speed flare," he observed the left wing was approaching a light pole, so he "drove the yoke right." The airplane landed hard, and he applied hard braking. The right wheel hit the curb, and the right wing impacted a fence. He saw another light pole and added left yoke input. The airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he examined the fuel tanks and found no visible signs of fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.