Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C accident near York, Pennsylvania, August 9, 1987
On August 9, 1987 at about 1:11 pm local time, a Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C, registered N99236, was substantially damaged in an accident near York, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1987 · about 1:11 pm local time
- Place
- York, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-C
- Registration
- N99236 · no longer on the register · serial 1859
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ERCOUPE MODEL 415 EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER IN FLIGHT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD. HE WENT UNDER SOME POWER LINES, HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT AVOID THE TELEPHONE LINES AND WENT THROUGH THEM. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS WAS TRACED TO A BROKEN NO. 3 CONNECTING ROD IN THE ENGINE.
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: 300 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,485 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THV York PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N99236 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.