Ercoupe 415 accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, November 7, 2020
On November 7, 2020 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415, registered N331BW, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Ardmore, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper decision to takeoff with 3 persons in a 2-place airplane and over maximum gross weight, and his failure to apply carburetor heat when the airplane’s engine experienced carburetor ice and a partial loss of power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2020 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ardmore, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415 C, built 1946 · all 415s on the register
- Registration
- N331BW · no longer on the register · serial 2091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a local flight with two passengers onboard the two-seat airplane. After flying two passes over a house, the pilot felt a “slight shudder” and thought the airplane had flown through its own propeller wash. The engine then started to vibrate, and the pilot was not able to control the vibration by adjusting the throttle. The pilot set the airplane up in a glide configuration at which time the airplane banked to the left. The pilot applied full right aileron control, but it did not stop the left turn. The pilot was attempting to land the airplane in a field when it contacted a tree and came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe, including the flight controls, and engine that would have precluded normal operation. It was determined that the airplane was 48 pounds over its maximum gross weight when the pilot started the engine. A review of local area meteorological data showed that at the time of the accident, the airplane was likely operating in conditions conducive to the formation of serious icing conditions (at cruise power). The pilot reported he did not apply the carburetor heat when the engine began to lose power. It is likely the engine sustained a partial loss of engine power in flight due to the formation of carburetor icing, which resulted in the attempted forced landing.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,405 hours in all; 255 in this make and model; 8.4 in the last 90 days; 3.8 in the last 30 days; 1,992 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 23, 2019
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,881.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 29, 2020; 2.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-85-12 (piston); 1,610 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1FO Ardmore OK at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 am from K1F0, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K1F0 071415Z AUTO 14003KT 10SM CLR 13/11 A3013 RMK AO2 T01300111
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 6, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Additional Documents | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Additional Statements | PDF, 5 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.