Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C N99577

Summary

On 21 May 2024 at about 18:15 local time, a Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C registered N99577 was involved in an accident near Ontario, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 May 2024 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Ontario, Oregon, United States

Nearest airport

Ontario Muni (ONO)

Coordinates

44.0215, -117.0097

Aircraft

Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C

Registration

N99577

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

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA158

1 person was seriously injured.

The non-certificated pilot’s unstable approach to landing, which resulted in a collision with approach lighting, hard landing, and postimpact fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident flight was the non-certificated pilot's first flight in the airplane, which the pilot had recently purchased and taken possession of on the day of the accident. The airplane was on a steep approach as the pilot attempted to land and hit an approach light short of the runway threshold. The airplane then bounced and struck another set of lights before landing hard on the runway. Subsequently, the airplane came to rest on the runway and a postimpact fire ensued. A witness who arrived at the scene of the accident stated that the pilot told him that he had misjudged the landing. A witness reported that the pilot conducted a steep approach to land, consistent with an unstable approach. The airplane was not available for examination following the accident, and whether a mechanical anomaly contributed to the accident could not be determined. The investigation was unable to determine the extent of the non-certificated pilot’s previous flight experience or whether the pilot had received any formal or informal flight instruction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.