Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C accident near Hurlock, Maryland, January 14, 1996
On January 14, 1996 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C, registered N87424, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hurlock, Maryland. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate inspection by maintenance personnel which failed to detect a fatigue crack, and resulted in an in-flight crankshaft fracture and propeller assembly separation. A related factor was the deep snow encountered during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 1996 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hurlock, Maryland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C
- Registration
- N87424 · registry record · serial 597
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the airplane was in cruise flight at 1,500 feet MSL when the propeller separated from the airplane. The pilot made an emergency landing in a snow covered field. Upon touchdown in 18-inch deep snow, the nose wheel collapsed. The separated propeller assembly and the attached forward portion of the crankshaft flange were located, and examined in the NTSB laboratory. Postaccident inspection of the crankshaft revealed a spiral crack that intersected the fracture at the bottom corner of a keyway. Further examination showed that the cracks were filled with a iron nitride white layer. Maintenance records indicated that the main journals and pins of the crankshaft were ground, nitrided, inspected, and returned for service, in October, 1994.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,960 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 1,775 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,677 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1995; 1,556 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ESN Easton MD at 8:45 pm
- Destination: SBY Salisbury MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 pm from SBY, 24 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.