Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-CD accident near Jacksonville, Illinois, July 4, 1999
On July 4, 1999 at about 2:23 pm local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-CD, registered N127G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Illinois. 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
A material defect in the sloshing compound. Factors were the blocked fuel system, inspection not identifying material defect, and the crop field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1999 · about 2:23 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-CD
- Registration
- N127G · registry record · serial 4795
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that the airplane was climbing through 2,000 feet mean sea level when the engine lost power. He said that he conducted a forced landing in a cornfield, at which time the airplane was substantially damaged. An inspection of the airplane subsequent to the accident found material in the fuel line between the header tank and gascolator blocking the flow of fuel. The material was the consistency of sloshing compound also found in the fuel tank. No record could be found indicating when the tank was sealed with sloshing compound. The most recent annual inspection was conducted on October 19, 1998. The airplane had accumulated 32 hours time in service since that inspection.
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
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 285 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 321 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,140 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 1998; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IJX IL at 2:12 pm
- Destination: 9D9 Hastings MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:24 pm from IJX, 2 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.
Other NTSB records under N127G the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.