Ercoupe 415-D accident near Sebring, FL
On December 13, 2008, an Ercoupe 415-D (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sebring, FL. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 13, 2008
- Place
- Sebring, FL
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-D · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 27.479°N, 81.508°W
- NTSB ID
- 20081213X62443
Official records · ERA09FA087
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 13, 2008 at 1206 eastern standard time, an Ercoupe 415-D, N99154, was destroyed during an in-flight breakup near Sebring, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight, which departed Avon Park Executive Airport (AVO), Avon Park, Florida about 1115. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to a friend of the accident pilot, who was also a certificated aircraft mechanic, he and the pilot flew together in the accident airplane on a local sightseeing flight immediately prior to the accident flight. The friend did not note any abnormalities with the performance of either the airplane or the pilot during their flight, and upon returning to AVO, the friend disembarked the airplane and the accident passenger boarded. Numerous witnesses observed the airplane flying in the local area around the time of the accident. One witness was outside talking with a neighbor when he observed the airplane flying overhead. The airplane was initially flying southwest, and made a "very slight dip and turned to the right. Then the airplane pulled up severely and started turning to the left." As the airplane continued upward and banked to the left, something "shiny" exited from the tail area of the airplane. The witness remarked to his neighbor, "What the heck is he dumping," and the airplane then began to break apart. The witness added that he did not hear any type of explosi
Probable cause
The pilot's exceedance of the design stress limitations of the airplane.
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Browse: Florida · Ercoupe 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.
