Ercoupe 415 accident near Hallettsville, Texas, April 30, 2020
On April 30, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415, registered N2275H, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Hallettsville, Texas. 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 partial loss of engine power due to contaminated fuel and carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hallettsville, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415 C, built 1946 · all 415s on the register
- Registration
- N2275H · no longer on the register · serial 2900
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was making a cross-country flight and reported that, about 1 hour into the flight, the engine began to “rattle” and “vibrate.” The engine lost power but remained running with about 1,000 RPMs. The pilot recognized that the airplane could not maintain altitude and executed a forced landing in a field. Upon landing, the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the forward underside of the fuselage. No mechanical anomalies were found with the engine. The cockpit fuel selector was found in the left fuel tank position. Contaminated fuel was found in the left-wing tank. The source of the fuel contamination could not be determined. The carburetor was heavily soiled. Murky fuel and sediment were present in the gascolator sediment bowl. The airplane was operating in conditions that were conducive to serious carburetor icing at descent power. However, the carburetor heat knob in the cockpit was not engaged. The combination of contaminated fuel and possible carburetor icing likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power.
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 (partial) during enroute
- Fuel related during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,786 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2019
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 1,786 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UVA Uvalde TX at 6:30 pm
- Destination: ELA Eagle Lake TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from K3T5, 29 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K3T5 301935Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 27/09 A3008 RMK AO2 T02720090
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 18, 2022. 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 | Memorandum for the Record Pilot Statement Summary CEN20LA170 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record Engine Airframe and Fuel System Examination Findings CEN20LA170 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record FAA Saib CE-09-35 Carburetor Icing Probability | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array CEN20LA170 | PDF, 3 pages | 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.