Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415C accident near Lake City, Michigan, July 3, 2004
On July 3, 2004 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415C, registered N2546H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake City, Michigan. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot selecting the wrong runway for the wind conditions and his delay in executing an aborted takeoff resulting in the airplane running off the departure end of the runway and into a ditch. The tailwind and the ditch were contributing factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2004 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake City, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415C
- Registration
- N2546H · registry record · serial 3171
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged when it went off the end of the runway, crossed a road and struck a ditch on the opposite side of the road. The pilot reported that during the takeoff, he "accelerated to slightly over 85 miles per hour [and] could feel absolutely no lift." He reported seeing a small piece of paper come from the northwest at approximately 100 feet above the ground. He stated that the paper then dove to the ground to the southwest and bounced along the ground in front of the airplane. The pilot stated that he pulled the throttle back, the airplane bounced off of the ground, hit the end of the runway and crossed the road adjacent to the departure end of the runway and came to rest in the ditch on the west side of the road. The winds about 30 minutes prior to the accident were 120 degrees at 11 knots. About 30 minutes after the accident the recorded wind was 130 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 14 knots. The takeoff was being made on runway 27.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. 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 CHI04CA175.