N99345Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C · 1946

On December 5, 2022, about 1240 central standard time, a Research & Engineering Ercoupe 415-C airplane, N99345, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Corning, Iowa. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot departed Rankin Airport (78Y), Maryville, Missouri, about 1200 with an intended destination of Corning Municipal Airport (CRZ), Corning, Iowa. A person who was travelling in a car near CRZ saw the airplane flying low and fast over the airport, but did not see the accident. Another person reported that he heard very loud revving of the engine, and moments later, he heard a loud thud. He went outside, saw the wreckage, and called 911. Another witness was on a roadway near the airport reported that he heard two loud bangs, turned around, and saw the airplane wreckage smoking and on fire.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a student pilot certificate issued on April 5, 2018. The pilot did not hold, nor had he ever held, an FAA medical certificate. No pilot logbooks were available, and the pilot’s total flight experience was not determined.

According to FAA aircraft registration records, the airplane was registered to the pilot in August 2018. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records showed that the airplane was flown about 35 hours since the pilot purchased it.

A flight instructor reported that he flew with the pilot to drop off the airplane at 78Y for an annual inspection in the first part of November 2022. He said that the pilot did not ask him to assist in retrieving the airplane after the inspection. He said that he had given flight instruction to the pilot during the first year that he owned the aircraft, but no instruction since. He stated that he told the pilot not to fly by himself and that the pilot had physical issues, including slow reactions.

The mechanic who performed the annual inspection reported that he saw the pilot add fuel to the airplane and perform a preflight inspection before takeoff from 78Y.

The mechanic who performed the annual inspection reported that he saw the pilot add fuel to the airplane and perform a preflight inspection before takeoff from 78Y.

The wreckage was located about 500 feet directly north of the departure end of runway 36 at CRZ at an elevation about 1,220 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane contacted the top wire of a power line about 300 ft beyond the departure end of runway 36. The powerline was oriented perpendicular to the runway. The elevation of the top of the powerline was about 25 ft lower (about 1,245 ft msl) than the departure end of runway 36 (about 1,270 ft msl). Evidence showed that after contact with the powerline, the airplane passed over a roadway and contacted a tree. Several broken branches were found in the tree and a small piece of the right wing was found in the tree about 15 ft above the ground. The main wreckage came to rest inverted in a pasture. Several ground scars consistent with propeller blade cuts were found along the debris path on a magnetic heading of 360°.

The cockpit area exhibited severe post-impact fire damage. The right wing fuel tank contained usable fuel. The left wing fuel tank was consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the elevator, ailerons, rudders, nose wheel, and throttle. (Note: The airplane was designed with automatically coordinated ailerons, nose gear, and rudders via a mechanical linkage from the cockpit. No rudder pedals were installed.) Some separations of the control system were identified and were consistent with fire and impact damage. All airframe components were identified. No airframe anomalies other than fire damage were noted.

The engine was relocated to a hangar where it was disassembled and examined. Engine throttle control linkages from the cockpit to engine were intact. The magneto wires were fire damaged, and both magnetos rotated smoothly by hand with little effort. The spark plugs were removed and exhibited normal signatures. The engine was rotated freely by hand and continuity was observed throughout the crankshaft, connecting rods, valvetrain, and accessory gears. The carburetor and air intake were disassembled, and no anomalies were found. The carburetor heat control arm indicated that it was in the off (cold) position. Both propeller blades were bent and twisted, consistent with rotation at the time of impact. One propeller blade exhibited damage on the leading edge consistent with contact with a powerline. No pre-impact anomalies were found with the engine or propeller that would have precluded normal operations.

Examination of the runway did not show any skid marks associated with the landing gear tires of the airplane. Whether the airplane touched down on runway 36 could not be determined. Examination of the runway and wreckage did not reveal any evidence of a ground or in-flight collision with wildlife. The powerline was repaired before FAA and NTSB arrival on scene and the exact location of the impact was not determined.

An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner, Ankeny, Iowa. According to the autopsy report, the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The manner of death was accident. According to information documented in the autopsy report, the pilot had a history of high blood pressure, low thyroid hormone, metastatic prostate cancer, and high cholesterol.

The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory performed toxicological testing on the pilot. Cetirizine was detected in blood at 224 ng/mL and urine at 4436 ng/mL. Diphenhydramine was detected in blood at 79 ng/mL and was also detected in urine. Pseudoephedrine, naproxen, fexofenadine, the fexofenadine metabolite azacyclonol, oxymetazoline, tamsulosin and irbesartan were detected in blood and urine.