Ercoupe 415-C accident near Angola, Indiana, May 16, 2022
On May 16, 2022 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C, registered N3530H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Angola, Indiana (Tri-State Steuben County Airpo airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and the nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2022 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Angola, Indiana · Tri-State Steuben County Airpo · 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 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3530H · registry record · serial 4155
- 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 he completed a normal traffic pattern and was on final approach in gusting wind conditions. About 10 ft above the runway, the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and the pilot was unable to control the descent rate. The airplane landed hard, and the nose landing gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 317 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 14, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,464.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OEB Coldwater MI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: ANQ Angola IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,540 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from KGWB, 20 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGWB 161815Z AUTO 28010G19KT 10SM SCT070 SCT085 22/08 A2983 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN22LA210.