Ercoupe 415-E accident near Minier, Illinois, October 23, 2000
On October 23, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Ercoupe 415-E, registered N94176, was substantially damaged in an accident near Minier, Illinois (Il Valley Parachute Club 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the carburetor ice and after takeoff, the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during the forced landing. Factors were the carburetor icing conditions and the plowed field condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Minier, Illinois · Il Valley Parachute Club · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-E · all 415-Es on the register
- Registration
- N94176 · registry record · serial 1499
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane encountered an in-flight loss of engine power and sustained substantial damage on contact with terrain during a forced landing in a plowed field. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot stated, "The takeoff went normal, power from engine was 2350 RPM at full throttle fuel pressure guage showed 4.5 "(p.s.i.). At 70 M.P.H. climb speed, the engine lost power at approx. 300 ft. A.G.L. applied carb heat, pumped the throttle, ck. elect. pump on O.K. - no power - turned 45 [degrees] landed. In field. (Plowed fld.)" An on-scene examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. All the spark plugs were found covered with "black soot looking deposits." The temperature was 24 degrees C and the dew point was 16 degrees C. A copy of a Transport Canada Carburetor Icing chart was reviewed. The temperature and dew point were plotted on the chart and their intersection falls in the moderate icing - cruise power or serious icing - descent power area of the chart.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,756 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 6,570 as pilot in command; 302 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,615 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 1999; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,405 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 81IL IL at 9:00 pm
- Destination: SPI Springfield IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 167°F (75°C), dew point 142°F (61°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from BMI, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.