Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C accident near Newnan, Georgia, March 5, 2013
On March 5, 2013 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C, registered N87172, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Newnan, Georgia (Newman Coweta County 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 pilot's failure to maintain proper visual lookout during taxi operations, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2013 · about 4:45 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Newnan, Georgia · Newman Coweta County Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C · all ERCOUPE 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N87172 · no longer on the register · serial 345
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after landing the airplane, he taxied it to the general aviation tie-down area on the airport. The pilot stated that he normally taxied the airplane through the open space between the second and third tie-down rows on the ramp but that this space was occupied; therefore, he initiated a 180-degree turn to exit the row for an alternate tie-down location. The pilot stated that, during the turn, he misjudged the space needed to safely execute the maneuver and struck a parked airplane with his airplane's right wing tip. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing trailing edge section main spar attachment point and buckling of the right wing flap and tip. The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Ground collision during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 429 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 380 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 18, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,318 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 4, 2013; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C75 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CCO Newnan GA
- Destination: CCO Newnan GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 11 knots
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KFFC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on March 22, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Passenger Statement. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: Right Wing Damage. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2: Right Wing Tip Damage. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3: Front View of Airplane. (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N87172 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N87172: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415 340 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engineering & Research 550 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor A&C75 SERIES · as the NTSB recorded it
- Newnan Coweta County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,800 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N87172 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13CA155.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.