N2585HEngineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C · 1946

The pilot reported that, prior to departure, he fueled the airplane to full capacity (24 gallons). He added that, about 3 hours and 36 minutes into the flight, upon descending to 2,000 ft, the engine began to run rough. He reported that over the span of about 5 minutes, it fluctuated between running rough and intermittent before quitting entirely. He decided to land in a subdivision. During the "high speed flare", he observed the left wing was approaching a light pole, so he "drove the yoke right." The airplane landed hard and he applied hard braking. The right wheel hit the curb and the right wing impacted a mud fence. He saw another light pole and added left yoke input. The airplane ground looped to the left.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the fuel tanks were inspected upon arrival and there were no visible signs of fuel.