Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-D accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, October 9, 2010
On October 9, 2010 at about 6:07 pm local time, a Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-D, registered N89331, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnett County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Inadequate maintenance performed on the airplane, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the corrosion within the carburetor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2010 · about 6:07 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnett County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-D · all ERCOUPE 415-Ds on the register
- Registration
- N89331 · no longer on the register · serial 3269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported that the pilot had removed the engine cowling prior to the accident flight and was performing maintenance on the engine. They observed the airplane depart from the runway and noted that it sounded as if it was not producing full power. The airplane then oscillated, banked left, and impacted a road with the left wing down. Examination of the engine revealed the nut on the bottom of the gascolator was not safety wired and was loose, allowing air into the fuel system. Additionally, the gascolator bowl, carburetor bowl, and float needle valve were heavily rusted and corroded. The fuel line from the wing fuel tanks to the fuel pump had been blocked off with a rubber hose, making the only fuel available to the engine, the six gallons in the header tank. The pilot's son reported that prior to the accident, the pilot performed maintenance on the airplane due to a fuel problem. The pilot's son believed the problem was resolved and the pilot last flew the airplane about a week prior to the accident in the local area. According to the maintenance logbooks, the most recent inspection was completed on the airplane 10 months prior to the accident. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed his only flight in the accident airplane was a 30-minute flight 6 days prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Not specified
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 839 hours in all; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 26, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,828 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2009; 1,829 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C75 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 5:50 pm
- Destination: LZU Lawrenceville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:06 pm from LZU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N89331 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA11LA014.