Ercoupe 415-C accident near Frostproof, Florida, July 18, 2021
On July 18, 2021 at about 2:55 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C, registered N3044H, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Frostproof, Florida (Lake Clinch Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during takeoff as a result of a child reaching for and manipulating the flight controls.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2021 · about 2:55 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Frostproof, Florida · Lake Clinch Airpark · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-C, built 1946 · all 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N3044H · no longer on the register · serial 3669
- 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, he was going to take his grandson and great grandson on a flight around the airport. He stated that the great grandson was sitting on the lap of his grandson. During takeoff, as the airplane was lifting off the runway, the great grandson reached for the controls, turned them to the right, and pulled back. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the right, exited the runway, and struck a fence. During the accident sequence, the fuselage and wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Miscellaneous › Intentional act › Interference › Passenger
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, sport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,148 hours in all; 950 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 29, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,304 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 4, 2021; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,880 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from BOW, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KBOW 181450Z VRB04KT 10SM SCT025 30/22 A3020
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Main wreckage fuselage, (FAA)
Photo 2 – Main wreckage front view propeller and engine. (FAA)
Photo 3 – main wreckage left wing view, (FAA)
Photo 4 – Right wing (FAA)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3044H: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Ercoupe 415 794 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Ercoupe 834 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-200-A 297 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lake Clinch Airpark · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 985 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,708 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA21LA293.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.