Ercoupe 415-C accident near Mackinac Island, Michigan, August 10, 2013
On August 10, 2013 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Ercoupe 415-C, registered N99094, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Mackinac Island, Michigan (Mackinac Island Airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while on final approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2013 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mackinac Island, Michigan · Mackinac Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-C · all 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N99094 · no longer on the register · serial 1717
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the cross-country flight was uneventful until the final approach portion of the landing to runway 27. She reported that the final approach was flown at the normal airspeed for the airplane. She said that the next thing she knew was that the airplane was on its nose and the left wing scraped the runway. The airplane then righted itself and skidded off the left side of the runway. The airplane incurred damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that the wind was from the west and that local pilots reported to her that wind from the west can create a swirl as it moves up the runway. The reported wind about the time of the accident was from 240 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 29, 2011
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,356 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 75-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ESC Escanaba MI at 3:45 pm
- Destination: MCD Mackinac Island MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 26, 3,501 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:16 pm from MCD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13CA510.