N87172Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C · 1946

On August 25, 2015, about 1335 eastern daylight time, an Engineering and Research Ercoupe 415-C, N87172, sustained substantial damage during a precautionary landing at the Newnan Coweta County Airport (CCO), Atlanta, Georgia. The airline transport rated pilot and the private pilot were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight. Visual flight rules conditions were reported at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that departed from CCO about 1330.

This was the airplane's first test-flight after having an annual inspection and its wings re-installed. The owner, who was a private pilot, said he performed the takeoff, but once it became airborne it banked hard left and the other pilot had to take control. The other pilot stated that he had to apply full right rudder and aileron to maintain level flight. He climbed to 400 ft with full power and turned back to land on the departure runway. Once the airplane was over the runway, the power was reduced and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot corrected for the yaw and the airplane yawed to the right and landed hard next to the runway. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop damaging the propeller and an engine mount.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed a postaccident examination of the airplane and found no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane's flight controls. The owner also reported that there were no mechanical problems and was unsure why the airplane was so hard to control. He suggested the wing attachments may have partially given-way but there was no way to prove this occurred.

The 88-year old owner held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land. He reported a total of 457 flight hours, of which, 270 hours were in the same make/model as the accident airplane. The owner's last FAA third-class medical was issued on December 3, 2012.

The 52-year old pilot held an airline transport pilot rating for airplane multi-engine land, a commercial certificate for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane, and a certified flight instructor rating for airplane single and multi-engine land. He was also a certified flight engineer with type ratings for BA-300 and DC-9 airplanes. The pilot reported a total of 7,500 flight hours, of which 50 were in the same make and model airplane as the accident airplane. His last FAA first-class medical was issued on March 10, 2015.

Weather at the airport at 1355 was reported as wind 330 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, and clear skies.

According to the pilot, after landing he taxied the airplane to the general aviation tie down area on the airport. The pilot stated that he normally taxis the airplane through the open space between the second and third tie down rows on the ramp. The pilot's normal tie down space was occupied and he initiated a 180 degree turn to exit the row for an alternate tie down location. The pilot stated that during the turn, he misjudged the space needed to safely execute the maneuver and struck a parked airplane with his airplane's right wing tip. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane incurred substantial damage to the right wing trailing edge section main spar attachment point, buckling of the right wing flap, and right wing tip. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

On April 28, 2010, at 1155 eastern daylight time, an Engineering and Research Corporation Ercoupe 415-C, N87172, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at LaGrange-Callaway Airport (LGC), LaGrange, Georgia. The certificated private pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot, he originally departed Newnan-Coweta Airport (CCO), Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to the departure, he added fuel to the airplane, resulting in a total of 7.5 gallons in the left wing tank and 8.5 gallons in the right wing tank. The subsequent preflight inspection was "normal," with no water or debris found in fuel samples from the wing tank sumps or gascolator.

The pilot took off from CCO, and flew to Roanoke Municipal Airport (7A5), Roanoke, Alabama, at an altitude of 4,500 feet. After a full stop landing, he back-taxied, and took off for LGC, flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The pilot made another full stop landing at LGC, then taxied back and took off again to return to CCO.

Just after the pilot took off from LGC, and the airplane was in the traffic pattern downwind leg, about 900 feet, the engine sputtered twice and quit. The pilot then attempted to land on the runway, but the airplane landed short and the nose landing gear buckled.

Straight-line distance from CCO to 7A5 was 32 nautical miles, and from 7A5 to LGC was 16 nautical miles.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who subsequently examined the airplane, no fuel lines were compromised or blocked, the fuel lines had "little to no fuel" in them, and the gascolater was approximately half full of fuel. In addition, the fuel header tank was empty, while the two wing tanks were "almost full."

The inspector also noted that the "fuel tank shut-off valve," located "in front of the right seat along the floor," and the "main fuel valve" were in the "off" position, but that the pilot advised him that he had turned both off upon evacuation of the airplane. The pilot also stated that it was his practice to turn off the fuel tank shut-off valve after every flight.

The inspector further stated that the fuel tank shut-off valve controlled fuel flow from the wing tanks to the header tank, and that the main fuel valve controlled fuel flow from the header tank to the engine. He also noted that the header tank allowed for about 1 hour of flight, as the airplane would burn 6 to 8 gallons per hour.