Ercoupe 415-C accident near Brownsburg, Indiana, February 6, 1982
On February 6, 1982 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Ercoupe 415-C, registered N93607, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brownsburg, Indiana (Brownsburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1982 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Brownsburg, Indiana · Brownsburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-C · all 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N93607 · no longer on the register · serial 960
- 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 DURING HIS VISUAL APPROACH FOR LANDING, HE USED FULL CARBURETOR HEAT AND CLEARED HIS ENGINE DURING THE BASE TURN. WHILE ENTERING HIS FINAL APPROACH, HE WAS TOO HIGH AND REDUCED HIS POWER BELOW 1000 RPM FOR ABOUT 10 TO 20 SECONDS. HE REPORTED THAT THE SINK RATE BECAME TOO GREAT, BUT WHEN HE WENT TO ADD POWER, THE POWER WOULD NOT INCREASE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT AND COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK. THE TEMPERATURE WAS EIGHT DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND COMPONENTS REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,675 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 4,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-75 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I52 Indianapolis IN at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Alcoa TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,450 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:46 pm from IND, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.