Ercoupe 415-C accident near Rome, Georgia, August 17, 2003
On August 17, 2003 at about 10:48 pm local time, a Ercoupe 415-C, registered N99748, was destroyed in an accident near Rome, Georgia (Rome - Richard B Russell airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination (water). Also causal was the pilot's loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2003 · about 10:48 pm local time
- Place
- Rome, Georgia · Rome - Richard B Russell · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-C · all 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N99748 · no longer on the register · serial 2371
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses on the ground heard the airplane's engine sputtering and saw the airplane in what appeared to be a controlled, turning descent before the airplane disappeared from view. The airplane was found inverted in a hilly pasture about three feet from a fresh ground crater approximately 12 inches deep. Examination revealed no evidence of airframe, flight control, or engine malfunction. Examination of the fuel pump revealed some fuel and milky-white water was found in the pump, white corrosion coated the inside of the pump and screen, and some corrosion was found on the inside of the domed pump top cover.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2003; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KRMG Rome GA at 10:40 am
- Destination: KVPC Cartersville GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KRMG, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.