Friday, June 14, 2019

Loss of Engine Power (Partial): ERCO Ercoupe 415-C, N87294, accident occurred June 13, 2019 near Holly Lake Ranch Airport (16TE), Hawkins, Wood County, Texas




Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Irving, Texas

Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:


Location: Hawkins, TX
Accident Number: CEN19LA167
Date & Time: 06/13/2019, 0856 CDT
Registration: N87294
Aircraft: Ercoupe 415
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (partial)
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis

The pilot and passenger departed on a cross-country flight to their home airport. The passenger reported that, after turning onto final approach for landing, the engine started running rough and the propeller "slowed down." The pilot attempted to restore engine power to no avail. The airplane impacted a 40-fttall tree about 550 ft from the runway threshold and about 70 ft north of the extended runway centerline. The pilot did not recall any of the events of the accident flight except the impact with the tree. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Findings

Not determined (general) - Unknown/Not determined


Factual Information

On June 13, 2019, at 0856 central daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C, N87294, struck a tree and impacted terrain one mile east of Holly Lake Ranch Airport (16TE), Hawkins, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the airport about the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that originated in Henderson (RFI), Texas, about 0830.

The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he and his granddaughter had flown to RFI where he purchased 25 gallons of fuel, filling the airplane to capacity. They were returning to their home base. The pilot said he could not recall anything about the accident except for hitting the tree.

His passenger told the inspector that they had just made the turn onto final approach to runway 9 when the engine started running rough and the propeller "slowed down." She said the pilot attempted to restore engine power, but to no avail. They both saw the tree. The pilot tried to pull up, but it was not soon enough, and the airplane struck the tree. The inspector said the tree was about 40 ft tall, about 550 ft from the runway threshold, and was situated about 70 ft north of the extended runway centerline.

The inspector noted that the right wing was compressed, the empennage was buckled, and the forward portion of the fuselage was bent. There were no known witnesses to the accident. The engine was later examined by FAA inspectors. No anomalies were found. 

History of Flight

Approach-VFR pattern final Loss of engine power (partial) (Defining event)
Approach-VFR pattern final Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 88, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used:
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/13/2018
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  900 hours (Total, all aircraft), 900 hours (Total, this make and model) 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Ercoupe
Registration: N87294
Model/Series: 415 C
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1956
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 467
Landing Gear Type: Tricycle
Seats: 2
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 1260 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Continental
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: C-75-12
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 75 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held:None  

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KJXI, 416 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 13 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0855 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 90°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 4 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 350°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: N/A / N/A
Altimeter Setting: 30.13 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 22°C / 15°C
Precipitation and Obscuration:
Departure Point: Henderson, TX (KRFI)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Hawkins, TX (16TE)
Type of Clearance:None 
Departure Time: 0830 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G

Airport Information

Airport: Holly Lake Ranch (16TE)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 409 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 09
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 2700 ft / 30 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Full Stop; Traffic Pattern

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 32.697778, -95.213611



WOOD COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - A pilot and passenger are hospitalized Thursday night, after a plane crash near an East Texas airfield.

First responders say the ERCO Ercoupe 415-C plane went down just before 9 a.m. on FM 2869, between Hawkins and Holly Lake Ranch.

First responders were only a mile away when they got the call that a small aircraft had crashed on an open field.

Nearby neighbor Ray Peterson arrived shortly after the crash.

“I saw somebody in the cockpit; you could see them moving around like they were checking or turning off the electronics,” he says.

The pilot and passenger were still inside the plane, which was tipped up on its nose.

“It was kind of pitched up. Kind of in line with the airport runway here. They hadn’t gone over and tried to extract them yet,” Peterson says.

A perimeter was set up for safety due to a fuel leak.

“We had to ensure there was no fire; in this case fuel was leaking so we had to take care of that. There’s still fuel leaking and that’s why we’re here,” said assistant chief Bill Bollinger of the Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

Investigators say the aircraft was on final approach to the airstrip, less than 200 yards away.

Emergency crews had to cut the pilot and passenger out of the plane.

"We used the jaws of life to extract two people from the plane. Both sent to the hospital," Bollinger says.

It’s not known whether the crash was due to mechanical issues or pilot error.

The extent of the pilots and passengers injuries were not released.

The Federal Aviation Administration reports the plane crashed under unknown circumstances and they, along with National Transportation Safety Board, will be investigating the crash.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.ksla.com


The Federal Aviation Administration was investigating the crash of a ERCO Ercoupe 415-C plane in a field behind the Holly Lake Car Care car wash in Wood County on Thursday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said two people, a pilot and a passenger, were injured when an Ercoupe 415-C that is registered to Willie Herman Vawter, 88, of Hawkins, went down near the 2400 block of Farm-to-Market Road 2869.

The pilot reportedly was on final approach to the Holly Lake Ranch Airport, according to Holly Lake Ranch Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Bollinger. Emergency personnel responded to the crash of the ERCO Ercoupe 415-C at 8:55 a.m.

First responders used the Jaws of Life to remove the occupants before they were taken to a local hospital by ambulance. The extent of injuries the pair sustained is unknown at this time.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration arrived at the crash site about 3:30 p.m. and took over the investigation.

Department of Public Safety said no structures were damaged.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://tylerpaper.com






WOOD COUNTY, Texas — Two people were injured following a Thursday morning plane crash in the Holly Lake area of Wood County. 

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the ERCO Ercoupe 415-C plane went down near 2426 Farm-to-Market Road 2869, behind Holly Lake Car Care. The crash site is directly across from the Holly Lake Ranch Airport, a private airpark in the area.

Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Bill Bollinger says his department was called to the scene of the crash around 8:55 a.m. The plane was making its final approach to the Holly Lake Ranch Airport, which was the home base for the aircraft, when it went down, according to Assistant Chief Bollinger. 

Officials discovered two people, the pilot and a passenger, in the plane. First responders were able to use the "jaws of life" to remove the occupants before they were taken to a local hospital. The extent of injuries the pair sustained is unknown at this time.

Officials tell CBS19 the plane is leaking fuel and a perimeter has been set up in case a fire starts.

The ERCO Ercoupe 415-C is registered to Willie Herman Vawter, 88, of Hawkins, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the crash. The FAA arrived at the scene Thursday afternoon.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.cbs19.tv

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