Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415E accident near Kingman, AZ
On March 20, 1999, an Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kingman, AZ. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 20, 1999
- Place
- Kingman, AZ
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.240°N, 113.761°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001205X00336
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 20, 1999, at 0923 hours mountain standard time, an Ercoupe 415E, N94818, owned and operated by the pilot, experienced an in-flight structural failure on approach to the Kingman Airport, Kingman, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane impacted level, desert terrain and was destroyed. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured during the personal flight that was performed under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Lake Havasu City, Arizona, about 0830. The pilot was a member of the Arizona Ercoupe Group and along with other members, was participating in its annual Wing Ding Fly-in. The initial portion of the flight involved traveling to the Kingman Airport, where breakfast was to be served, and other activities related to the fly-in were planned. The pilot's airplane was refueled, and he was observed to have performed a preflight inspection of his airplane. Approaching the uncontrolled Kingman Airport, the pilot broadcast his position. He did not indicate that he was experiencing any difficulty controlling the airplane. Within 10 minutes before and after the accident, other pilots in the group also entered the Kingman traffic pattern. They reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that moderate to extreme turbulence was encountered in the pattern. Several pilots also reported experiencing windshear while descending on the base and final approach legs. A ground-based witness, located north of the airport, reported observing the accident airplane's wings r
Probable cause
The in-flight loss of airplane control due to rear wing spar attachment fitting failure. The failure resulted from severe corrosion that was undetected during performance of an inspection specified by an airworthiness directive. The airworthiness directive developed by the FAA was deficient in its specificity relating to recurrence. The directive was also deficient in its procedure requiring exter
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Browse: Arizona · Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
