Ercoupe 415 CD accident near Aurora, Colorado, November 20, 2017
On November 20, 2017 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415 CD, registered N3067H, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Aurora, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the engine-driven fuel pump and the pilot's failure to identify the pump's failure, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation and a forced landing on a road, during which the airplane hit obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2017 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Aurora, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415 CD, built 1946 · all 415 CDs on the register
- Registration
- N3067H · registry record · serial 3692
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the commercial pilot was maneuvering the airplane during a local flight, the engine lost total power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and he made a forced landing to a nearby road. After landing, the pilot saw a car on the road and attempted to turn the airplane to the right; however, the airplane's right wing impacted a road sign and a barbed wire fence. Postaccident testing revealed that the engine-driven fuel pump was not functional; thus, the fuel contained in the main tanks could not be transferred to the header tank. Therefore, the loss of engine power was likely the result of fuel starvation after the available fuel in the header tank had been depleted. Although the airplane was equipped with a header tank fuel gauge, the pilot failed to identify that the fuel level in the header tank was decreasing prematurely.
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 engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel pump › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,852 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 1.1 in the last 90 days; 0.4 in the last 30 days; 1,532 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,376 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C85 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Denver CO at 7:00 pm
- Destination: APA Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KAPA, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Miscellaneous Information - Icing Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Communication Summary - Vernon Gregory | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo - View of the Disassembled Fuel Pump (Supplied by V. Gregory) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Information - Fuel System | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.