Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) ERCOUPE 415-C accident near Huntsville, Texas, July 7, 1997
On July 7, 1997 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) ERCOUPE 415-C, registered N99739, was substantially damaged in an accident near Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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
Inadvertent stall due to the student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed and a proper descent rate. A factor was the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 1997 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Huntsville, Texas · Huntsville Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) ERCOUPE 415-C ERCOUPE 41
- Registration
- N99739 · registry record · serial 2362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the final approach to the runway, the student pilot allowed the airspeed to become slow and corrected for the airspeed loss by adding power. Subsequently, the airplane hit the ground hard when the student reduced the power, pulled the nose up, and stalled the airplane at 10 ft AGL. The flight instructor did not execute corrective action.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,311 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UTS at 2:32 pm
- Destination: UTS
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 18, 5,004 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from UTS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.