Ercoupe 415 N331BW

Summary

On 7 November 2020 at about 14:30 local time, a Ercoupe 415 registered N331BW was involved in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States. 3 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

7 November 2020 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

34.1278, -97.0632

Aircraft

Ercoupe 415

Registration

N331BW

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

Ardmore → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA047

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to takeoff with 3 persons in a 2-place airplane and over maximum gross weight, and his failure to apply carburetor heat when the airplane’s engine experienced carburetor ice and a partial loss of power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a local flight with two passengers onboard the two-seat airplane. After flying two passes over a house, the pilot felt a “slight shudder” and thought the airplane had flown through its own propeller wash. The engine then started to vibrate, and the pilot was not able to control the vibration by adjusting the throttle. The pilot set the airplane up in a glide configuration at which time the airplane banked to the left. The pilot applied full right aileron control, but it did not stop the left turn. The pilot was attempting to land the airplane in a field when it contacted a tree and came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe, including the flight controls, and engine that would have precluded normal operation. It was determined that the airplane was 48 pounds over its maximum gross weight when the pilot started the engine. A review of local area meteorological data showed that at the time of the accident, the airplane was likely operating in conditions conducive to the formation of serious icing conditions (at cruise power). The pilot reported he did not apply the carburetor heat when the engine began to lose power. It is likely the engine sustained a partial loss of engine power in flight due to the formation of carburetor icing, which resulted in the attempted forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.